


Flutter

by AmyDaili, cayli



Category: Glee
Genre: Autism, M/M, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn, Teacher Blaine Anderson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:07:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22054564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyDaili/pseuds/AmyDaili, https://archiveofourown.org/users/cayli/pseuds/cayli
Summary: Several years after the loss of his husband, a new beginning starts for Kurt Hummel's daughter, Ella. Upon realizing that she had something very unique about her, Blaine Anderson, a kindergarten teacher graces both of their lives and teaches Kurt far more than he could have ever realized about acceptance, understanding, and love.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Comments: 25
Kudos: 62





	1. Prologue

“Oh my God, Carole! This is perfect,” Kurt squealed as he tore the wrapping paper from a large box, biting his lip as he looked at the photo of the cherry wood crib on the box. “And this mobile fits our theme! Thank you,” he said, standing up to hug Carole and his dad, the grin never leaving his face. He returned to his seat beside Ethan, clapping his hands together excitedly as his husband’s mother brought the next large gift over, watching him open it and getting just as excited as before when he saw the box for the baby swing. 

“Oh, we wanted one of these!” Ethan beamed, tilting the box to see the picture on the front better, showing Kurt and looking over at him lovingly. “And it’s elephants, just like you wanted,” he added with a laugh, kissing Kurt’s cheek and humming against his lips when Kurt turned and caught them instead. Kurt giggled when he heard Carole gasp and come over, holding the kiss while she snapped a picture.

“Okay, now open the smaller one,” Burt said, pointing to a rectangular package sitting near their feet. Kurt picked it up and shook it playfully, untying the bow that was around it before he tore the paper off and opened the box, laughing out loud.

“I should’ve known,” he said, holding up the onesie that read _Hummel’s Tires and Lube._ “I love it, dad. Now you’ve gotta get coveralls made for her,” he teased, folding it up and putting it in the stack of the rest of their gifts. 

“Thank you so much, everyone. We can’t wait to send pictures of Ella in everything you got for her, and you’ll all be the first to know when she’s here,” Ethan announced with a smile, looking around to everyone and standing up. “We have a few more games to play, and don’t forget about the cupcakes! There are tons left, and we’re going to make you all take some home if they aren’t gone by the end of the night,” he chuckled, pointing toward the cupcake table under a pink canopy with tulle ruffles hanging from the top. 

Kurt stood and walked over to get a cupcake himself, ripping off the bottom and placing it on top to make it into a frosting sandwich before taking a bite and letting out an “oh!” when he turned around right into his husband’s arms. He smiled up at him and held out the cupcake for him to take a bite, wiping some frosting from the corner of his mouth with a pink napkin. “Today has been perfect, E. Thank you for somehow putting up with me and all of my crazy plans for every event in our lives,” he laughed, standing on his toes to kiss him softly. “I love you so much,” he whispered, leaning into his chest and sighing. “I can’t believe we’re going to be dads.”

* * *

Teaching, for Blaine Anderson almost had a right hand sort of effect. It came more naturally than the wind and comforted him with the same ease that came with slipping into the sheets of a freshly made bed, but as simple as the idea seemed to be from his early life, the decision to teach actually was accompanied by a tangle of shock and heartache that no one in the world would have expected. A year into medical school the news came, while cramming for finals in classes that he could barely keep his eyes open in. The words still rang in his ears at the most unexpected times, when he was folding laundry or rounding a corner they had taken on the way home from elementary school. Blaine had always wanted to please his father, especially after the near disaster that came from his big ‘coming out’ experience. He thought he had moved past that,  _ they _ had moved past that. Medical school was his way of giving his dad the assurance that no matter what path he chose for his own life, a little part of the predestined plan he had hoped for both of his boys could be fulfilled, after all, there were plenty of fields of medical science Blaine could have chose that didn’t involve brain surgery because, let’s face it, the only thing Blaine wanted under his knife was a t-bone.

The silence was deafening, beyond deafening, so quiet you could hear a mouse hiccup. Correction, so quiet you could hear a grasshopper whisper sweet nothings against his lovers ear, all apart from the pairs breathing. Cooper had left just a few hours before to head back to his home in La Jolla. Cooper, the first and only achieved actor in the family, beating Blaine to the punch although Blaine had been performing since he was five. There was no way he was going to take after his brother, another dream dashed so thankfully he had always been fairly easy going, he had to be to survive. He couldn’t remember how long he had been sitting there, his hands clamped together with his fingers entwined, head hung so his forehead could rest on the tangled digits being supported up on weak elbows. It was hard to remember the last time he had slept. 

“What was...one thing you always wanted to do that you were too afraid to when your father was here?” 

The first thing Blaine had really heard, although it didn’t quite click at first, only when he raised his head did he realize his mother was talking to him.

“......I…. wanted to become a teacher…” 

“Then what are you waiting for?”

That was the first moment Blaine had smiled since he had gotten the news, it was still weak, a desperate twinge at the corner of his lips but the turn of a new leaf. After all, Blaine had no one else to worry about pleasing but himself anymore, his major changed that next semester. 


	2. Metamorphosis

Peeking back into the back seat through his rear view, a smile taking over his lips while he hummed along to the relentlessly repetitive soundtrack that hadn’t left the disk tray since it had been taken out of its CD case, a little blonde girl with eyes as blue as Bali waters worked the button of her jacket open and closed out of boredom in the back seat. The drive didn’t seem nearly as long when he was the one behind the wheel, but clearly the baby had other things on her mind but the idea of starting school.

“Keeping busy back there, sweetcheeks?” Kurt humored the little one while his hands held tentatively at ten and two, index fingers tapping along to Hakuna Matata for the third time today. Silence seemed to be the answer. “Ella Jayne, earth to baby. Hi! Are you excited to see your new school? We’re nearly there.” It was then that he had finally caught her attention and she retorted with a modest nod. "Mhm. Yeah, I think so.” He knew the distance was going to be hard on both of them. After all, they had been inseparable for so long, Kurt was almost sure _he_ would be the one dealing with separation anxiety long before she would. Finding a parking spot here was way easier than it had been at the last school, but there again, this was Jersey and registration day from what he was learning seemed to be some sort of animalistic free for all mix of the barely mannered and overly caffeinated. Rounding the car with spring to his step, he generally would be able to blame the nonfat mocha that was apart of every single morning for that past…(okay, maybe it was better if he didn’t do the math,) although he couldn’t today, considering they didn’t have the time to stop after fighting with Ella between breakfast and an attempt to tie her shoes. Popping the button on the front of her booster-- she was still terribly small for her age, it must have come from her mother’s side of the family-- her hand found his the moment her sequined Converse hit the pavement, her free hand adjusting the small bird pin that adorned her over-sized, bow clad sweater that perfectly sat atop her pleated corduroy skirt. He wasn’t ready to see her go just yet, if only he could grab time by the wrist.

The halls were busy, busier than Ella was used to which only caused her to tuck herself tighter into Kurt’s side. After some near absent minded, narrow eyed staring at some rather vague, color coded, obscurely highlighted sheets of laminated paper that hung on the bulletin board just outside the main offices, he was almost sure of what way there were intending on heading. Every door they passed seemed curiouser and curiouser, rooms filled with loud chattering students conversing about their summer breaks, parents deeply in tune while they absorbed what each teacher had to say, and just as she had time to focus on one, on came the next. As they made it to the end of the hallway, the atmosphere seemed to change. Although the school itself was well over 100 years old they had seemed to maintain a modern nuance despite their only slightly intimidating mission statement. This area of the school was far more inviting and although Kurt had his heart set on one specific teacher, yes, he did his research, it was the room with the butterflies outside that caught Ella’s attention and held on tight to it. 

“Daddy, look at those!” Ella cheered with a pointed finger at the intricately designed classroom, like stepping into a conservatory of crepe paper, each tiny round table with a flower sat at the center filled with everything each student would need, to say Blaine was ready and willing to be overly prepared was an understatement. Kurts lips parted in protest at first, before he caught sight of the sheer amount of detail that adorned the walls, the cubbies, handmade stained glass flowers that had been so expertly taped to the window to let copious amounts of rainbow light flow into the room. Ella was completely insistant at that point, and who was Kurt to deny her? It didn’t take much persuasion on her end, after all, Kurts only concern was making her transition as easy as possible and her newfound attitude made that decision that much easier. 

“What do you say? Let’s check it out, shall we?” Turning on his heels, he would have never expected the man standing with his back to him, a well fitted plaid t-shirt with a thin tie and a tight head of curly raven colored hair who couldn’t have been any older than him to be a teacher, let alone a teacher at a school where it seemed the median age to even qualify seemed to be around 45, clearly this guy knew his stuff. As he heard the scuffle of a new pair of feet through the threshold, his attention to a set of parents he was keeping himself busy conversing with seemed to pull away momentarily while a toothy, welcoming smile worked its way across his whole face, heightening his cheeks and wrinkling the corners of his honey-hazel eyes at the outside corners.

While the premise of solidifying a full time job at a private school had never crossed Blaine’s mind, the summer between his second public school experience, two grades, three years later felt like the beginning of something real. After all, he had all the credentials they were looking for; adaptable, young enough to resonate with the kids he would be teaching, an NYU graduate in the top ten of his class with an attitude brighter than the sun. Needless to say, though, he was scared out of his own skin. 

“Hi there! Come on in, show yourself around if you’d like. I’m Blaine Anderson.” A hand shot out like lightning for Kurt to take into his own, Blaine’s face not dropping for a second while he studied the new face in his presence. He wouldn’t have expected someone like Kurt to have a child, let alone a child old enough to be starting kindergarten. 

_Blaine_. It was fitting for the situation. It wasn’t a Matt, or a Mark, or a Dave, or a Damian even. Kurt wasn’t entirely sure how long he had been standing there before his hand finally came out to take Blaine’s into his own and reaffirm his attention with a strong handshake. Maybe it was involuntary, the way Blaine glanced down at their hands long enough to check for a ring, maybe it was completely inappropriate and out of place but if he was lucky, Kurt wouldn’t have noticed. “Uhhh-” He breathed out a timid laugh at first, his cheeks twinging with a rosy hue at his hairbrained response. “Kurt. Kurt Hummel, I’m Kurt and this is…”

“Let me guess who this is. I’m pretty good at this. I think I can do it,” he grinned, tugging at the thighs of his pants as he crouched to sit at eye level with the small girl, his lips pursed up in thought while his finger tapped at his lips before shooting up to rub his temples, the theatrics still finding a good place to be put to use although he had abandoned the stage some years ago. “You don’t seem like a Samantha. Or an Abigail, or an Emily….” he hummed, flashing a look up through his lashes to what he had adhered to the idea of as the little girl’s father, Kurt seemed to take the hint in an instant as he watched the situation unfold and mouthed back a silent ‘Ella’, after all, what she didn’t know didn’t hurt her. “I’ve got it! Ella, is your name Ella?” Although modest still, her voice escaping her she still managed a mousy ‘yes’ back, her little eyes lighting up with wonderment, that seemed to be the moment Blaine knew even if he had to do some persuading, he was going to do all he could to get this little girl in his class.

“So, what do you think of the place? Have you seen any other rooms?”  
  
“I don’t think she’d allow it if I tried. This is….spectacular. I’m sure it took you…”  
  
“Three weeks, yeah. Guess I could say I was a little eager to get the school year started.” Blaine nodded with a proud smile as he looked around the room he had dedicated countless hours to make as inviting as humanly possible. “Her likes it a lot.” Ella agreed while she tugged at her daddy’s hand to get his attention, her focus dead set on a very specific chair that stood out to her amongst all the rest as it had a large picture of a butterfly with a letter E on its wings, each chair with a different picture, and a different letter. “Daddy, it's E, like Ella.” 

“Would you two like to sit down and talk?” Blaine excused himself as her insistence became relentless and he knew if he didn’t secure this now, before long he wouldn’t have space to accommodate her as his class seemed to be filling up fairly quickly. Grabbing the chair that she had been so highly focused on, he gave a slight tilt of his head for Kurt to follow which he seemed to catch onto with ease and he and his little half followed him outside the classroom where a small table sat, stacked with sheets of paper and a wooden switch board with a wacky amalgamation of literal bells and whistles lined up as a sort of obstacle course.

“Just a few things to go over. Dad, these are for you to fill out while I talk to Miss Ella. Ella, can you tell me what your full name is?” Folding his hands to rest under his chin on the desk, her eyes not leaving the switchboard while she spoke. “Ella Jayne Hummel.” Her reply was sound, she gained a mark on her sheet. Sliding a piece of paper across to her, Blaine carefully spelled out his own name. “My name is B-L-A-I-N-E, can you spell your name too? Could you show me now?” While she took the pen, a flash of a tiny tongue peaked out from between her lips while she wrote out her first and then her last name with a penmanship he didn’t typically see in someone quite her age, she was definitely a promising young mind. After watching her take on each challenge one at a time, along with exchanging a few glances with the father of the small girl that didn't go unnoticed, although she maintained her own space both at the desk and kept her contact focused on her tasks, Blaine had no worries whatsoever that she was more than ready to take on the next step of her life, and in perfect time with Kurt finishing up the last of the prelabeled sheets that Blaine had made as easy as possible to work their way through.

“Well, if you ask me I think it’s safe to say we have a ready and able little butterfly in our midst. What do you say, Miss Ella? How would you like to come to my class every day?” He leaned himself in a little closer which caused Ella to sit back against her chair, Kurt’s hand coming up to brush away a wavy lock that had separated itself from the pack and drifted instead into her face. 

“What do you say, baby? You like Mr. A’s room? Think we should give it a try?” He coaxed as her feet swung where she sat and she flashed a look safely in Kurt’s. 

“Her can sit in this chair?” 

“Can _I_ sit in this chair?” He corrected her carefully which she promptly ignored but still managed to pull a chuckle out of Blaine at that. 

“You can absolutely sit in that chair. What do you say we make you a name tag for your table so you’ll know exactly where to sit when you start?” Leading the pair back into the room once more, he readied himself for the next wave as a few more sets of parents and a few more children filtered in, shooting them the same enthusiastic smile and warm greeting that Kurt had gotten earlier, leading them back to his desk where he took out a large paper name plate and held out a hand full of markers for her choosing, to which of course she chose a pink one and he wrote down the name that would mark her spot in his class for what he was hoping would be the next year, sitting it along with a few other guarantees on the edge of his desk. 

“Out of sheer curiosity, Mr. Hummel, is there another contact I can get ahold of if I need any more information? Possibly a partner or a babysitter that we can keep as your emergency contact?” While the question came out of the blue, Kurt should have been expecting it, but it still hit him like a train and nearly knocked him back into the seat while the pair stood from Blaine’s desk. Standard questions that were typically necessary for this sort of situation, but nevertheless, it still sunk like a stone in his stomach and pulled the color out of his face. Blaine, on the other hand, hadn’t exactly noticed, especially when he was barraded with a slew of questions that seemed to come one after another from the new, curious group whose interest was growing by the minute. How dare Blaine asks a question like that of him, but then again, how could he have known Kurt’s circumstance before today? Clearly it wasn’t intentional, but the reminder was like pulling open a freshly healed wound. He tried to find his breath, his voice, his emotions that seemed to barrel down on him in the moment, pulling his lips between his teeth. “No, n-no. No one else. Just….I’m sorry. This has been, lovely, and I’ll be getting back to you. We have to be going now though. Thank you for your time.” As lovely as the exchange had been and as sure as Kurt was that this was the place that seemed most fitting for his daughter to find her light in, he hadn’t realized how long it had been since he had talked about him. About _Ethan._

“Oh..” Blaine’s brows worked their way toward his hairline with surprise at the rather sudden decision, typically parents stuck around for a while to allow their children to converse a little, get a feel for the room, greet other parents, but after all the world was a busy place and who was Blaine to stick his nose into Kurt’s business after all? “Well it was nice meeting you. Bye, Miss Ella! See you around, sunshine!” he flashed a wave to the small girl, his attention being sucked away just as the little girl waved back at Blaine. 

“C’mon, mini. Let’s go home.” Kurt’s voice quaked above a whisper when he scooped her into his arms and pressed a kiss against her temple, his water line filling with the promise of tears that he managed to draw back in for the time being the longer he sucked in a deep breath and disappeared out the door with nothing further to leave Blaine with, or so he thought. It wasn’t long into his next conversation that something drew Blaine’s mind away from the in depth conversation he was having about lesson plans and academia, the same questions over and over again that became second nature to him that he could recite the answers in his sleep. Only now his eyes had trained themselves on the door frame that was now abandoned, only the shape of Kurt’s body left in his memory, but that was the only thing left.

It was then that he started to realize, the stranger had disappeared without explanation the same way Blaine’s father had, and maybe...just maybe what Blaine had said reminded Kurt of a similar fate, and now he was in place in time he had chosen to sneak away from the heartache, removing himself from the world to tuck himself somewhere safe and warm like a cocoon where he could become someone new. Unfortunately, just like butterflies, most of the memories we have before we become someone new find a way to retain themselves, no matter how much of a metamorphosis we manage to put ourselves through. 


	3. The Morpho Method

**Mr. Hummel,  
  
**

**I wanted to send this email to extend my greatest apology for overstepping. While I know it is not always a hard question to answer, in some circumstances, it is one of the most difficult. I read over your paperwork and saw that you are widowed, and I am deeply sorry for bringing up a bad memory for you. I truly hope that I didn’t scare you into removing Ella from my class. I would love to teach Ella, and I feel as though she would thrive in the environment that I crave to provide for my students.**

**If there is ever _anything_ that I can do for Ella or you, I would be glad to help. You can always contact me here, or you can call or text me at 1-609-537-9183. If you have any more questions about my classroom, teaching styles, or anything really, please feel free to reach out. I hope to see Ella soon. **

**Blaine Anderson**

**Kindergarten, the Wardlaw-Hartridge School**

**[banderson@whschool.org](mailto:banderson@whschool.org) **

**Work: 1-908-932-3247 ext. 288**

**Cell: 1-609-537-9183**

Kurt read the message a few times over, then read it again. He sat back in his chair, chewing on his lip. The teacher had already left an impression on him that made him want to keep Ella in his class, but knowing that Mr. Anderson had understood _his_ emotions made him realize that he may be exactly what Ella needed. 

While Kurt didn’t always have a problem understanding the way that Ella acted, sometimes things just didn’t make sense to him. 

* * *

_“Daddy, where’s the picture that was here?” Ella asked, standing in front of the TV stand with her hand patting the place where a photo of her stood before._

_“It’s right there, baby. I just hung it up so it would be easier to clean the stand,” Kurt explained, pointing to where it was hanging now, not far from her. “It’s still here. I wouldn’t want to get rid of my princess’s picture,” he told her, smiling until she turned around with tears streaming down her face._

_“I want that picture here!” she cried out, her hands covering her face as she sobbed and plopped onto her butt, rocking a bit as Kurt jumped up and took the picture down from the wall._

_“Okay, okay, we’ll put it back. Here, you wanna put it back up right there?” he asked softly, handing her the frame and furrowing his eyebrows as she immediately calmed down, placing it back where it was and sniffling._

* * *

_“What are you doing, honey?” Kurt asked as he stepped into the playroom, standing in the doorway and watching Ella for a moment._

_“Playing,” she replied simply, lining up her beanie babies in a row, from the door of her Barbie dreamhouse to the other end of the room, spread out the same distance from each other, all facing the same direction._

_“Well, do you want me to play with you?” he asked, sitting down criss-cross beside her with a smile on his face, reaching out to pick up a beanie baby that hadn’t made its way into line yet._

_“No!” she said quickly, grabbing the toy and holding it to her chest without looking up at Kurt. “No, her want to play by myself. You don’t play the right way,” she said, walking on her knees to the other end of the line and so carefully placing the stuffed Dalmation behind her dragon, making sure he was the same few inches away from it as each of the others were. Kurt sat quietly, watching her and moving back to just observe as she put her last few stuffed animals in line, not speaking a word as she did so. She stood up and moved to the middle of the room, looking at the line and then going through and collecting each toy, putting them all in her toy box and rolling them around with her hands so that they were mixed up. She dumped them out, and started over. After about half an hour, the line was formed again and, Kurt noticed, in the exact same order as before. He shook his head in disbelief, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion._

_“How did you do that?” he asked, looking down the line and trying to remember the order himself, finding no pattern in it._

_“What?” Ella asked, looking over at him curiously, starting to pick up her toys again._

_“How did you put them in the same order again? How do you remember how you had them?”_

_“‘Cause that’s how her do it every time,” she answered simply._

_Kurt was too shocked to worry about pronouns at the moment, just shaking his head and blinking. “Let me see again, show me,” he said, waiting until Ella picked up each toy before she started again, putting them in the same order for the third time._

* * *

Before he could think much more about replying to the email, Kurt realized that he was already behind on the submissions he needed to get in before a meeting, flying through them and sending them out before going to his favorite conference room in the building. He opened the door slowly, a confident smile on his face as he saw the others waiting at the conference table. It felt good to know that they were waiting for him. 

“What do we have? Who’s going first?” he asked of the group, his arms crossed over his chest. A newer intern stood up slowly, to his surprise, her hand raised. 

“Um.. could I go, Mr. Hummel?” she asked timidly, barely looking up at him. 

“Don’t ask me, stand up and show me. You’ve got it,” Kurt encouraged, smiling a bit and leaning back against his podium as the girl stood and brought up her flashdrive, plugging it in to show her design ideas. She went through a few slides, some of which really caught Kurt’s attention. When she finished, he nodded and smiled. “Thank you. Who’s next?” he asked, letting a few more of them go before he checked his watch and nodded. “Alright, that’s enough for today. Katie, Isabelle, and Brandon, please send me your pitches from today,” he said, walking out of the conference room as his way of ending the meeting. 

On his way up the stairs, his phone pinged with a few more emails, only reminding him of the one that he hadn’t yet replied to. He closed the door as he got back to his office, sitting down in front of his laptop where the opened email still stared at him, waiting for him to type back. 

**Mr. Anderson,**

**Thank you for reaching out. Your concern and your research on our family means a lot to me. I accept your apology and also feel the need to tell you that you did not need to offer one. I am the one who should apologize.**

**I am incredibly sorry for my actions that evening. I am still mourning the death of my husband and occasionally break down when the situation of “family” is mentioned. While you did absolutely nothing wrong, I acted as though it was your fault, and I apologize greatly for doing so. I hope you understand and I would love to keep Ella in your class.**

**Onto the topic of her, rather than me, I believe Ella is going to thrive in your classroom. I think your methods are positive and will help her more than any that I saw from the other teachers. I’ve saved your number, just in case, and mine is 1-732-487-3894. That’s my personal number, and if for some reason you can’t reach me there, I can be reached through my assistant by the number in my closing. She will know to send you right through to me, no matter what. Thank you and Ella and I will both be seeing you soon.**

**Mr. Kurt Hummel**

**CEO, Hummel Brag**

**1-212-890-7690, ext. 100**

**277 Park Avenue, New York, NY**

* * *

“Good morning, Mr. Anderson,” Ella said as she approached her teacher’s desk, her eyes trained on the floor near her shoes. 

“Good afternoon, Miss Ella. Do you need help with something?” Blaine asked her, smiling down at her as she seated herself in the chair beside his desk that was perfectly sized for her. She found herself in that chair during free time most days, this being the fourth in a row. The first few weeks of school, she tried her best to play alone, although it seemed to be a problem for her if she were anywhere but the chair she accustomed herself to. If anyone tried to play, if anyone came any nearer to her than she seemed to be able to tolerate, she seemed to have an agenda unlike any other student in class. Ella was especially unique, Blaine just couldn’t pinpoint it yet.

“Um.. what are you doin’?” She asked curiously, peeking up onto his desk. “Can her help you?” 

“Well... I was just making some decorations for the classroom. I was going to print them, but... maybe we could draw some instead,” he said, looking down at the fidgeting hands in the little girl’s lap. He rolled his chair over to his laptop and pulled up a picture of a Blue Morpho butterfly, printing it out and placing it in front of Ella, along with a white sheet of construction paper and a pack of markers. “Draw that one for me. It’s called a Blue Morpho, and even though they’re bright blue on the inside of their wings, the outsides are brown and white, so they can camouflage themselves from other animals,” he told her with a smile, gaining a smile back in return. 

“Okay. Draw this one,” she said quietly, focusing completely on the drawing for the entire recess period, her feet swinging as she sat right beside the large desk that Blaine worked at. 

“Ella?” Blaine asked after a few minutes, looking over at her. “Why do you want to sit here with me? You don’t want to play with the other kids?” he questioned, his voice soft as he leaned down a bit in his chair. 

Ella just shook her head. “No.. they don’t play right,” she said simply, her little hand gripping the pencil that she used to draw the right wing of the butterfly. 


	4. Autumn Leafs and Monarch-tober

Blaine Anderson never liked the idea of picking favorites, especially when it came to his students. You learn as a cardinal rule early on that there are always going to be students you have a better relationship with than others and although it’s rather easy to become bias when it comes to some. All the children you teach deserve the same amount of respect and understanding as the next, however Blaine was finding this hard when it came to Ella Hummel. At first, he thought it was just the beginning of school jitters. Some other students had similar problems over the first week or so, especially when their parents left them for the day, but they all became accustomed to the routine after just a few days. With Ella though, while the other students seemed to find their place, working their way into their own groups, each one making at least one close friend that they tended to stick by, Ella still seemed keen on sticking to her own guns and flying under the radar as much as possible, that was when she wasn’t tucked under Blaine’s wing for protection. He found it rather peculiar, her methods on everything from the way she slid her feet into her rain boots to how she buttoned and zipped her jacket. She didn’t seem to have any issues with dexterity, none of the typical things you saw in a child that was delayed in any way-- actually it was far from that. Blaine could tell from the pictures the little girl drew,  _ every day _ during free period. Every day, a new butterfly. She seemed to have really taken a liking to the unique, winged creatures. Her drawings were beyond anything he had seen from a child her age, and it would have been an absolute shame for him to get rid of them as she seemed to want to draw them for him because no matter how much he insisted she take them home, they always found a place on the edge of his desk. After a few months, Blaine had an entire drawer full of just butterflies, his favorites hanging around the blackboard to be displayed for the world to see, but none of the other children seemed to take notice of where they came from, after all, what they didn’t know didn’t hurt them.

  
  


Ella seemed to lead the line out for recess as often as she could, that was until another student caught on and started throwing around the ‘fair’ card which he quickly had to correct until it went unnoticed again. She liked to be close to him as often as she could, she liked continuity. Sometimes that meant Blaine having to move another student’s jacket off of a hanger in order for her to hang hers because it seemed she tended to get physically upset. Blaine wasn’t completely sure why this was, he had seen cases like this before, but being so new to the game and not wanting to step out of bounds after the entire situation with the upset he had caused in Kurt after registration, he decided to tread lightly until he was a little more certain of what he thought was going on. 

  
  


Recess was a period where every child, regardless of where they fit on the personality spectrum, seemed to find their place. Bursting out like a spray of confetti out of a cannon as soon as they hit a specific mark on the playground where they were safe to run, Blaine’s class quickly incorporated themselves in with the mix of the other two kindergarten classes rather easily, friends finding friends even from other classes who had known each other from pre-school, brothers searching out sisters and all sorts of other curious combinations taking place across the fairly large and inclusive yard. Even the birch trees that lined the edge of the fence just beside the playground seemed to find respite by huddling themselves together, and to no surprise, that’s where Ella seemed to make herself comfortable, studying the way the paper-like bark tore itself so carefully away from the tree, relaxed in a world all her own.

“Do you.. have any students you feel are… having trouble fitting in?” Blaine piped up as his eyes scanned the yard, his arms folded loosely over his chest where he stood next to another blonde, slightly older administrator whose class was also keeping busy making good use of the playground, his eyes on little ones that weren’t even his own before shooting over toward Ella Hummel once more as they now seamlessly managed to do the moment she was out of sight.

“Having trouble fitting in as in you don’t think that they’re ready to be here?” She asked, hoping on a little elaboration without exactly asking for it outright, her brows knitted together before she called out a couple of students for running to prevent any further injury she could almost see coming. 

“W-well I wouldn’t say  _ not ready _ as opposed to just...she isn’t much on making friends. I thought, maybe at first it was because she wasn’t used to other kids because I had a few in the beginning that had trouble sharing but this is… different. She doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with… anyone except me. She has this… agenda, it’s not always an issue, sometimes it’s small things but if they’re interrupted she had these outbursts until they’re corrected. I don’t want to say I think it might be  _ something _ just yet, maybe I just haven’t been doing this long enough.” As the woman’s attention was pulled to where Blaine’s eyes seemed to lock, she started to understand what she was talking about. Both of their attention shifted when Miss Ella decided she had had enough of studying bark, at least for the time being, making her way over to Mr. Anderson.

“Mr. A, can her learn ‘bout butterflies today?” A small voice sounded from about knee level while she twisted her upper body without moving her feet, still not at all inclined to catch his eye for more than a second or two, and even that was a rare occurrence. Blaine took it upon himself at that point to try and assuage her. 

Crouching to meet her eye, his hands planted flat on his thighs as he did so, the teacher that was standing next to him studied the encounter to try and understand what it was Blaine was talking about. “Ella, it’s a beautiful day outside. There isn’t anything that you’d like to do? I see a swing free and Emmy looks like she would be happy to give you a push,” He suggested as he pointed out a brown haired girl the same age as Ella was who also seemed to be playing on her own. 

“Mmm, no thanks. Her doesn’t play right. She’s too loud,” She protested with an instantaneous pout that caused Blaine to let out a sigh. “Her wants to find a butterfly like the tree.” While her finger came up to point out the birch she had found herself interested in, Blaine knew there was no way he was going to change her mind, and found it easier to simply help keep her interest in what she was comfortable with. Grabbing out his phone, with a few taps of his thumbs against the touch screen and a few extra clicks, while it wasn’t exactly what he was looking for, he seemed to find one he was sure might keep her interested.

“Well, how about a little trivia to pass the time then, hmm? What do we call another name for Fall? Do you remember what we talked about the other day, when it gets chilly outside and the leaves start to fall?” Cocking his head to the side as he studied her face, her eyes flicking to the screen that he was still facing toward himself, she really only seemed to answer his question hoping for some kind of reward. 

“It’s autumn,” The little girl responded mousily, her gloved hands pressed into her pockets while she continued to swing.   
  
“That’s right! So I think you’ll find it pretty interesting the name of this butterfly is called an Autumn Leaf. Sometimes they’re brown with black and white spots, and sometimes they’re orange and black, just like the colors of the classroom to celebrate halloween. They’re found in parts of Asia. You know what else is in Asia? The Philippines, where some of my family is from. Isn’t that neat?” As he received another nod, Blaine turned his phone to show off the pictures of the butterfly that in just a few moments had her smiling up a storm. 

“Monarchs are almost the same, you know,” Ella muttered with association, especially when she took to one picture in particular, studying it so closely Blaine was almost sure she was trying to lock it into her memory for good. The rest of recess was spent just that way, Blaine bringing up different pictures and paragraphs to help her absorb as much information as possible until it was time to call the rest of the students together to head back inside. Though it may have been unconventional what Blaine was doing, recess was supposed to be a time where teachers could have a moment of free time for themselves, he couldn’t bare to see any of his little ones left out, even if he was the only one they felt safe confiding in. As he started his line back for the class, the same blonde woman from before was gathering hers like ducklings in a row, shooting a look in his direction.    
  
“I see what you mean,” She whispered simply when she had the opportunity. She had seen this before in her years, it was just going about explaining it to the parents that seemed to be the hard part.   
  


* * *

  
  
Surrounded by a sea of adorably misshapen crepe paper bats and hand painted ghosts with ping pong ball googly-eye adorning pumpkins, the last of his Kaleidoscope had been loaded onto the bus mere minutes before, leaving Blaine alone with boxes of decorations and a whole weekend of work to be done in order to turn his classroom into the spookiest room their hallway would see. While it was more work on his plate than he intended on, Blaine seemed to always get in a little over his head, but seeing the looks on his babies faces was more than enough reward for the work he put in and considering he didn’t have a whole lot to do at home apart from his typical weekend plans, keeping busy at school was the most worry he had to put in apart from the loads of laundry desperately sitting in from of the washer waiting to be tended to. Still though, a sigh pulled from deep in his lungs and he let his hands glide down his face momentarily, shooting a glance over at his phone that hadn’t made a sound in so long he was almost afraid he had somehow lost service. With a week to go until their halloween party and still no parent even remotely interested in taking a few hours off to step in to help further than running into the local grocery store for some pre-made, run of the mill, over sweetened bakery cupcakes, Blaine was just desperate enough to start begging. 

Hello, Kurt. Sorry to bother you. Typically I don’t like to elicit pleas of desperation to parents for beseechment purposes, but as I’ve expended all other parents to the point of being soft blocked on the workspace page where I’m allowed to do my desperate pandering, I was wondering. Might you have a few hours this friday to spare to help out with our halloween party? As far as food, I think we’re all but set in that department. I’ll be ordering pizzas for the class and will be grabbing some juice. I am lacking on paper cups and plates if you’re feeling generous, even if you can’t attend, you can always deliver them with Ella’s costume when you drop them off. I hate to admit defeat, but as I’m spending my weekend stringing together around 80 lollipop ghosts, I think it’s safe to say I’ve only slightly gotten in over my head. Thank you for your consideration and your time, regardless. -Blaine Anderson

Leaving his phone sitting on the edge of his desk for the time being, the small break that came with typing out the message was little relief but at the end of the day, no matter how much work went into something as simple as a holiday, Blaine would rather be doing something he loved than spending his days watching sick people get sicker, simply because he was desperate to make someone else’s dream come true in order to get the approval he had deserved all along. To his surprise, about five and a half feet and twenty six ghosts in, just as he had found his rhythm his phone sounded off with a simple chime that nearly drove Blaine right out of his skin, causing him to let out a breathy chuckle at his absentmindedness. Much to his surprise, a relieved smile seemed to take over his entire face in a near instant as soon as he saw the familiar name that flashed its way across his screen as a new notification. 

While the reputation of most CEO’s tended to sit somewhere between pompous gasbag and self-righteous tyrant, Kurt had never let the level of responsibility that came with running a business turn him into anything more than the same reasonable, understandable, and inclusive person he had sought out to be from the moment the responsibility bestowed to him, which took far more campaigning than he would have expected out of the position. While he still managed to run a tight ship, it seemed most everyone felt comfortable enough to come to Mr. Hummel for whatever became an issue, mostly because of the way he never revealed anything less than compassionate in his nature. During even the most troubling times, Kurt never let the world see his weak spots, especially when it came to the loss of his husband just a few years previous. Part of him was thankful at that point, gaining the promotion mere months before the incident seemed to be one of the few things that kept Kurt’s head together in the hardest times after, the times when he should have been at his worst. Those moments seemed to be when his best work shone through and that certainly found a lot of respect for him by even the most revered in the business. While it was still a tremendous amount of work on his part, to say that this was anything less than a dream for him would have been like saying Neil Armstrong would have had a better time as a tightrope walker. Regardless of the help he had when it came to sifting through his emails and phone calls, finally caving just a few years ago and rewarding himself with a lovely secretary, Kurt tried his best to stay in tune with as many responsibilities as he could handle at one time. Today was the day though it seemed, for cleaning house and finally eliminating the emails that had been taking up unnecessary space in his inbox for far too long, after all, things seemed to be fairly quiet after his morning meeting and everyone already apparently had enough to keep busy with, at least for the time being, that he wasn’t finding himself parading through the halls on a mission to give someone something to do. He was pleasantly surprised though, as he brought his coffee cup to his lips that his personal phone chimed in with a notification he was even more thankful to see. 

Blaine, while I don’t see asking for help as a plea of any kind, especially when it comes to decorating an entire classroom by yourself, I appreciate that regardless of how many people you may have gone to first, I was still in your consideration to ask. While it’s difficult for me to get away from work as I’m piloting a little more than I care to handle myself sometimes, with the time you’ve given me to adjust my scheduling, I’d love to help out with your party. I’m not sure what you have planned for yourself as far as costuming, whether that will be in your wheelhouse or not considering your circumstance, Ella and I have decided on Belle and Lumiere this year! If you’re finding yourself lacking on time, I would be happy to see what I might be able to piece together in my free time at home. After all, it wouldn’t be right for someone who’s spent their entire teenhood binging Drag Race and Project Runway on weekends and growing to create their own clothing empire be anything less than adaptable and savvy with both time and material. Do let me know if you’re a willing participant, you give off a very Cogsworth reminiscence, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been trying desperately to rid myself of some extra gold brocade that’s been taking up space in fabric room. As for cups and plates, consider it done. -KH

Blaine would have figured he would have had to wait hours, maybe even days for a response after the text. Most parents, unless the situation seemed completely dire upon reading, took it upon themselves to avoid conversation like the were escaping the plague. After the confusion in the very beginning with Blaine’s small lapse in understanding, he would have assumed that Kurt would have been the biggest proponent of avoiding him, but it seemed all the contrary as after his apology email they seemed to talk the most out of all the parents of the students Blaine had in his class. 

Hey, all I really have to say is THANK YOU! First of all, for getting back to me so quickly, secondly for your generosity as I  _ hadn’t  _ actually thought about a costume, I was hoping I would have the time to pick through what was left at the party store, and third most for your willingness to not only  _ make _ a costume but to make one that corresponds with yours and Ella’s and...who am I kidding? A Disney themed Halloween costume has 8 year old me completely giddy. I’m forever in your debt, truly. Anything you might need from me just let me know. Except for blood as I’ve already donated this year. I’ll see you and Ella on monday morning. -Blaine Anderson

Breathing out a sigh of relief at least for now, it was a weight off Blaine’s shoulders to know that in the confusion, someone was willing to stick his neck out in order to help. Kurt seemed to be far more generous than what Blaine would have even suspected to see, out of all the parents he had to deal with this one definitely felt like a ringer of sorts, but Blaine wasn’t willing to start second guessing the situation, especially when he looked down to see a line of orange streamer clung to the bottom of his shoe that he promptly tore away with a breathy sigh. 

* * *

As the week rolled by in a tireless pulse of excited energy, each one of Blaine’s lesson plans finding a way to fit the theme of the upcoming holiday, Friday neared them like the roar of an oncoming train sounding off its whistle. In the meantime, it seemed that without question, Blaine somehow managed to have picked up a new friend, or at least was finding more and more moments of his day were now being spent swapping texts with Kurt Hummel. Most were in the name of costuming, considering Kurt had gone out of his way to be so generous as to create something for him on short notice which he was still finding to be more impressive than the idea alone, but between swapping his measurements and pictures of detailing along with steps of the process while it came to completion, he realized a little later in the game that Kurt actually had a sense of humor he was starting to enjoy.

Are you sure those pants are going to fit my waist? Just like my good friend Shakira, and I genuinely mean good friends as we had dinner Tuesday (sorry you weren’t invited), these hips don’t lie. These hips will also tell you I pulled a Jan from Grease and spent my evening with twinkies and wine tonight so pardon me if I’m a little forward. -Blaine Anderson

Really, Blaine? On a thursday? Also, are you really questioning my sewing skills? I’ve only been tailoring my own clothes since about 10. I could sew a button before I could ride a bike. Yes, they’re going to fit. If you’re worried I’ll bring them by early in the morning and you can try before class starts and if they don’t fit I’ll bring them back to the office and adjust them at my desk before I come back for the party. Deal? -KH

Excuse me, it was two small glasses of low content white wine, I needed some for a recipe I’ve been wanting to try and didn’t think it would hurt to have a little more with dessert. Sue me. On another note, have I mentioned that you are, truly, a god amongst men? -Blaine Anderson

Just call me a modern day  Hephaestus and you can thank me later. -KH

* * *

That next morning, not long after Blaine had made his way through the morning fog with the sunlight just barely kissing the horizon, he unlocked his classroom door with his coffee still steaming through the vent on the dome lid it sported and booted up his computer for the day, only to look up as Kurt showed up with a garment bag half folded over his arm. Though the name tag completely clashed with his outfit as it sat atop the breast of his sport coat over a marled turtleneck to keep the chill at bay as best as possible, he still wasn’t one for fighting precaution. The slight clicking of his heeled boots up the hall echoed almost hauntingly, the halls still able to reverberate and emphasize what little sound they took on until the many voices of it’s students filled every ounce of available space before they knew it. Following close at his heels were a second pair of smaller sounding feet, a shadow in a way.

“As promised, Blaine Anderson. I told you I don’t back down from a challenge, no matter how big or small it may be. In this case it was a little smaller than typical but size doesn’t really matter, does it?” It wasn’t until after he spoke that he thought about what he had said, clearly he could blame this one on morning brain.

Although Blaine mocked insult at the fact Kurt had taken a slight jab at his size, the gratefulness outweighed the witty sarcasm. Taking the bag as it was offered up to him, he could already see the detailing through the clear front. “Hi, Miss Ella. Good morning, sunshine! Am I going to get my high five today?” Blaine cooed with a generous smile as he held a hand up. 

Instead though her hand came up in a simple wave instead, blinking her tired eyes just after before retorting sleepily. “Morning, Mr. A. Happy Halloween.”    
  
Letting his shoulders drop with a slightly disappointed sigh as he stood upright once more he wasn’t exactly surprised, she never seemed to stray from routine. “Alright, maybe next time. This is amazing, Kurt. Thank you again for this, and you did get your own finished, right? This didn’t take away any time from yours and Miss Ella’s, I hope?” He shot a rather pleading look up through his lashes in the brunettes direction as he unzipped the bag to give the garment a slightly better look.

“No time at all, honestly. I had our costumes already finished a few weeks ago so this was more of a pleasure project for me to keep me busy once Ella goes to bed so I’m not drowning in my own boredom. You should try it on.” Although his smile was a little flat, Blaine could see the fact that he was genuine. Kurt still seemed very cautious, but then again he could understand the hesitation that came with getting too chummy with anyone. In the meantime, Ella found a way to keep herself busy by heading over to her hanger, it was almost like winning the lottery, being the first to class to essentially have free reign over the empty classroom.

“Yeah yeah, of course. Stick around for a couple of minutes if you can spare them? You can sit at my desk. Ella, would you like to go get the clothes pins for the butterfly board and put one at each spot for me? You know where we keep them. Everybody starts with green.” The butterfly board was the best way to keep up with who was standing on thin ice through the day without having to use punishments, it seemed to work as a good warning tool especially for little ones and gave one kid every day a responsibility to keep the rules in check, especially when their pin turned from green to yellow, it was very rare they got to red. Taking the bait it went without saying that Kurt wasn’t going to turn down the chance to relax, even if it was just for a few moments while Blaine stepped away. 

As Blaine disappeared out of the class to the closest employee bathroom, Ella followed her instructions to a T, almost literally, especially when it came to the way she sat each butterfly the exact distance away from each name tag as the last one, all facing the same exact way, Kurt watching her silently from the side while she did so. It was becoming more apparent to him the more he focused that she was taking on more quairls that Kurt hadn’t seemed to noticed before, but then again, this time he found a way to blame it this time on starting school. As Blaine returned this time from trying on the outfit, he was met with surprise and carried himself with a considerably different and slightly playful swagger, for someone who had not received anything more than a few measurements through the phone, Kurt had created something for him that fit nearly as well as a glove might, and better than anything store bought that Blaine had ever purchased in his life. It was no wonder he ran his own empire.

“I have to say, part of me is a little jealous while the rest of me is astonishingly impressed at how well you put this together with the amount of time you actually had to do it. Guess the real question is what do  _ you _ think? As your muse. Do I wear it well, do I say yes to this dress?” 

Blaine was something else entirely, managing to pull a fond sounding chuckle out of the back of Kurt’s throat when he pushed himself up out of the chair that he had allowed himself to get a little too comfortable in before he started to circle the slightly shorter male as if he were a hawk circling his prey, his arms crossed over his c hest while he studied the outfit with his head cocked ever so slightly to the side, stopping in front of him once more when he rounded back to the start. “I think I can say my work here is nearly done. What do  _ you _ think, Ella J? Remind you of anyone?” Kurt humored but to his surprise she looked back over her shoulder from where she had busied herself studying the colorful pages of an animal book she had taken from the library in hopes there might be a butterfly in there, she seemed to have an idea. 

With a rather exasperated sigh, like the question was something completely ordinary she nodded. “Course, it’s Cogsworth, dad.” 

Both seemed to find the moment rather cute and very average, despite both of their previous worries, it seemed that always happened right when they were starting to question things. “You’re planning on painting my face for me too, right? Start to finish I’m going to need the full shebang.” This time it was Kurt’s turn to roll his eyes tellingly. “Ella, what time do we go to lunch?”  
  
“Big hand eleven, small hand three. 11:15.” There was no look up from her book when she sounded off like she had heard it a million times before.   
  
“I’m sure I can make that happen, they won’t miss the tyrant once I’m gone anyhow. It will be a free for all. I’m taking bets on how many calls I get in a three hour period, closest to the actual number gets the business, trust me, it’s not all its cracked up to be,” Kurt said, his lips tightened in the center of his mouth into a tight little ‘oh’ shape, feigning intrigue to see who might get there closer. 

“If you’re really looking for something to do though, were looking for someone who can help with the school musical. We’re doing The Itsy-Bitsy spider meets a Charlotte's Web kind of deal so we’re going to need a lot of little spiders. I’ve sewn more pool noodles into spandex than I care to even talk about. It wouldn’t be until spring but if you’re ever considering, we work in the auditorium on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week and the occasional Saturday for me when I’m feeling bold and sick of sitting around at home.”   
  
The question didn’t strike him as odd so much, and besides, Kurt loved musicals ever since he was a child. It was definitely something to consider. “I’ll keep that in mind. You’ll probably see me around nonetheless.” While it wasn’t a promise, it almost seemed like it could be. After all, keeping busy seemed to be an extreme sport for Kurt Hummel and it wasn’t as if Blaine weren’t there to ask questions of later on. 

* * *

Like clockwork, Kurt arrived just as lunch was getting ready to start, all the little ones having spent the beginning of the morning getting ready together to fight their little arms and feet into more costumes than Blaine had ever seen. He loved the chance to see what all of them had decided would fit their personality best. A few seemed to have the same train of thought as ninjas were apparent this year in his room, some resembling their favorite television characters. He had princesses and cowboys and everything in between and the room seemed to get a little with excitement when he started to play a mix of Halloween songs he had monster  _ mashed _ together for the occasion, it seemed like the party had taken off without a hitch and was even better when Kurt arrived already prepared in what he would only consider one of the _ cutest  _ adult halloween costumes he had ever seen before.

“It’s with ill regard I have to tell you that I’m no makeup artist so bear with me here,” Kurt muttered as he touched up the clock face he had worked onto Blaine’s own face with a mix of black and white paint, though Blaine would have been more surprised if it turned out badly than he would have if it turned out the way he did when he glanced at the small hand mirror Kurt turned his way to display his work. It didn’t take long before the dark, curly haired man was one endless smile, or even longer for the pizzas that arrived directly to the door thanks to a sportsman-like secretary from the main office. 

Things seemed to be running as smooth as they could considering Blaine, -and now Kurt- were busy trying to keep a hoard of excited five year olds in check. As much as he had begged parents not to deliver cupcakes, he wasn’t surprised when he had to keep nearly two dozen little mouths clean from the same purple and orange frosting they all devoured as if it were the last meal they would ever eat, and without fail came with a flash of sugar fueled energy that Blaine only wished he still had half of at his age, no matter how young at heart he could consider himself. “I swear these parents do it on purpose sometimes. If I thought these cupcakes would have made it home off the bus I would have sent one home with each of them but we both know what a mess that would have turned out to be. Like feeding a dove glitter.” 

The mental image was enough to make Kurt laugh a little more than he had before, honestly he would have never considered that kind of thing a scenario before today. 

“Red light! No running. We have enough fake booboos in here, we don’t need any real ones today,” Blaine warned of a group of boys, and one little girl, who were constantly trying to show off who was the fastest superhero. The little girl as flash seemed to be in the lead which was fitting, he was convinced she might end up a runner some day. Sipping something from one of the festive paper cups Kurt had brought along as his classroom contribution, he shook his head. “I still can’t believe you got an internship at Vogue.com when you were nineteen. That must have been like a dream come true for someone from Ohio. I know when I got into NYU…”  
  
It seemed rather a strange sequence how no matter how long you tended to focus on something, the moment you let your guard down the universe seemed to shift in an opposite direction. Things had been going so well up until that point, Kurt turning his head to shoot a glance Blaine’s way during his telling of high school before the sound of a heartbroken screech filled the class with terror and caused almost every head to turn the direction where the sound was coming from. Although she seemed to have been doing alright at her table with her friends, only coming up to the parent and teacher combo a few times to ask some simple questions, Ella had been stewing. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back when the same small group of children who had been zooming along as kids do, knocked into the table where she was working just as typically as any other day on a picture, this time a monarch, that in an instant ended up stained and soaking in a mix of cranberry and apple juice that soaked the table. 

“He made a mess! Him doesn’t play right. Look!” This time was different though, this wasn’t just an outburst, something that could be so easily corrected as all the rest had been, this was almost a tantrum, something you’d typically only see from a child half her age. Her eyes filled with alligator tears, her face a mix of anger and heartbreak that someone could be so inconsiderate of all the time she had put in to what she had been working on, she almost seemed out of her typical, modest self. While Blaine usually had some of the best communication skills when it came to a situation like this, it was almost like trying to hold smoke in your hands this time around, seeing the way nothing could soothe her. This only made Blaine’s heart break so much more for the little girl who only ever did the best she could to make the world beautiful, and it threw both he and Ella’s father into a complete state of confusion and concern. It was apparent in the way they looked at one another that this was something far more serious than just a child with an attitude problem. It took leaving, coming back some time later, still with a red nose and eyes, and being carried while she kept her face buried in her dad’s shoulder to calm her down for the remainder of the party. Ella didn’t feel like celebrating anymore and for that matter, neither did Blaine or Kurt. Thankfully there was only a half an hour or so left of classes, and most parents would be coming along to collect up their little ones for the evening before either of them knew it. 

“I think it’s time to take her home. This isn’t anyone's fault, accidents happen,” he said, keeping his voice low while his hand rubbed circles into his little ones back, Kurt understood the situation just as well as Blaine did. Still though, Blaine couldn’t help but feel badly that one of his little ones could manage to be in such a dark place when he tried so desperately from day to day to bring light with everything he taught. Maybe Monday would be better, maybe by then things would blow over and they could start fresh. A new class, a new day, a new attitude, he tried to convince himself. But as for the weekend, he had some decorations to take down, and some research to do. 


	5. Monarch Mediation

And research, he did. Blaine tried desperately to focus on anything else, cleaning up the classroom after the party, listening to a podcast on his drive home, doing laundry, and grading papers, but still, one thought reigned over the rest. Ella had never had a reaction this bad to anything, especially not something as small as a ruined drawing, and this was sticking with him. He sighed when he got to her worksheet in the stack, staring at each answer and analyzing it. Her handwriting was immaculate for a girl of her age, her grammar was mostly correct, and every answer matched the ones on his key, so he knew whatever the issue was, it wasn’t changing the fact that she was one of the smartest kids in the class. They just needed to determine what this thing was that affected her. 

* * *

Pushing the door of his car closed with an apprehensive sigh, Kurt walked with long, purposeful strides toward the school, his sunglasses pushed up the bridge of his nose that he only chose to remove just as he stepped inside the door and hung them over the collar of his shirt for safe keeping for the time being, after all he never enjoyed school meetings. As if he didn’t have enough on his mind already, now he was on the way to Blaine’s classroom already having to postpone a rather important meeting with a client with a lump in his throat while a million different worries wooshed through his mind about whatever topic his daughter’s teacher had in mind to speak about.

* * *

“I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a behavioral issue, per say, but more of a behavioral... difference,” Blaine said quietly, avoiding eye contact until he’d finished the statement and swallowed hard. His eyes and hands instead kept busy scanning the papers in front of him and fumbling with a pen that he hid beneath his desk, continually turning it over between his fingers. 

“Every child has meltdowns,” Kurt replied defensively, his arms wrapped around his middle and his legs crossed as he sat across from Blaine. “I don’t think this meeting was all that necessary. I really have a lot to catch up on,” he said, starting to stand up from his seat. 

“Mr. Hummel, I think Ella has autism,” Blaine rushed out, standing with him, dropping his pen back down on the desk as he turned his palms up at his sides in contemplation. “It may be a mild form, but.. I think it would be in all of our best interests if you got her scheduled for a screening.”

“I think it would be in your best interest to not diagnose my child with something you aren’t qualified in, Mr. Anderson,” Kurt said back, his face blank as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder and started out of the classroom. 

“Kurt, please don’t be upset with me.. I’ve done a lot of research within the past week, this isn’t a hasty statement. All of the differences we’ve seen in Ella are often seen in children with autism,” Blaine said, following him toward the door in a desperate attempt to change his mind, or at least plead for some kind of understanding, after all Ella was just as much a part of Blaines life as she was her fathers. Sometimes it was hard for parents of children to understand just how seriously some teachers took their jobs. 

“Please stop saying it,” Kurt said quietly, stopping inside the door and sighing. “She.. she’s fine. She doesn’t have that. I’ll talk to her about playing with the other kids, and about.. the meltdowns. She’s just a normal kid,” he insisted, his mind spinning already at the thought of the way his child would ultimately be treated if she were diagnosed with such a disorder. A child growing up with a gay parent was enough; add another thing on and she’d be subjected to years of torture throughout middle and high school, just like Kurt was. “Do you have kids, Mr. Anderson?” Kurt prodded, already on the verge of a hysterical meltdown, it was clear in his voice as it broke while he spoke, leaving what felt like the entire contents of Blaine’s stomach sitting in the back of his throat. 

“I-I do not. Not….not yet. That is…” Blaine knew exactly where the question was aimed, after all he certainly had painted a target on his own back after all. 

“Then you’ll understand respectively when I say that it is clearly _none_ of your business to cast such stones at someone just trying to raise one on their own.” He walked out then, tears already welling in his eyes as Blaine followed him into the hall, watching him go as he chewed on his lip. 

Blaine waited a moment before he went back to the classroom, sitting down and running his hand over his face as he closed his folder of tons of printed research and put his head down on it. 

* * *

Rather than doing any of the work that he’d already put off, Kurt spent his night researching, printing things out and highlighting and underlining, shoving them into binders as he wiped his wet cheeks and running nose with the back of his hand. This couldn’t be happening now, this thing with Ella. Everything had been perfect up until now. Everything, so perfect. Almost too perfect.

“What’s wrong?” 

The voice cut through complete silence, making Kurt nearly jump out of his skin. He turned to his daughter then, clearing his throat and shaking his head once. “Nothing, El, I’m okay. What you up to?” he asked, giving her a small smile. 

“When are you making dinner?” she asked instead of replying, her lips pursed to the side as she rocked on her feet. She really didn’t beat around the bush. Kurt furrowed his eyebrows as he picked up his phone, gasping when he saw the time. 

“I’m so sorry, honey, right now. What would you like?” he asked, rushing her down the stairs as it was already past bathtime _and_ bedtime. “Chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, right?” he asked. Of course he already knew the answer would be yes, that was her usual. He quickly put the nuggets on a tray and put them in the oven, starting the mac and cheese on the stove and leaning against the counter, the heels of his hands pressed into his eyes as he sighed heavily, just trying to catch up with himself. 

He plated her dinner as soon as it was cooled off, placing it in front of her with her pink ramekin of ranch in the center of the plate, watching as she ate the nuggets from left to right, then four noodles at a time, one on each prong of her fork. He wasn’t going to rush her, she was already up too late, and he felt bad enough for depriving her of dinner while he hid away in his office. When she’d finished, he left her plate, taking her up for her bath. They sang the same songs they normally did while she played with the same toys, she got out and wrapped up in the same robe and towel, and they sat in the same spot as they did every night while Kurt combed her hair. She got in bed and Kurt read her the same book as he did the other six days of the week. The binding was so weak he was surprised it was keeping itself together, there were visible wear marks where his hand traditionally laid, the outside corner of each page thin enough to crumble as she had had it since she was about a year old. He was surprised he even had to read it anymore as they both could essentially recite it by heart. He put the very used book back on the shelf with a new, awful feeling swirling in his stomach. 

After a few glasses of wine, Kurt managed to eat something himself before he cleaned up the kitchen, settling on the couch with a pillow in his arms and his phone in his hand. He stared blankly across the room at Ella’s toy box that, even for the life of him she wouldn’t allow him to move even when he insisted that she was getting a little big for a toy box in the living room, before sending the message to Blaine, instantly regretting it when he realized the time again.

**Hi, this is Kurt. I don’t want to get into too much detail tonight as we both had long days, but I wanted to apologize and ask if you’d be willing to meet again later this week. I’m sorry for how I reacted and I feel that we have more to talk about than what we got to. Get back to me whenever you can.**

Just as Kurt was starting to drift off on the couch, his phone buzzed in his hand, and he was surprised to see a message from Blaine when he peeked his eyes open. 

**Kurt, what are you still doing up?! I have an excuse because I’m writing lesson plans, but you have no excuse! Get to bed!  
  
I’m just teasing. I’ll be at the school every evening this week working on the backdrops for our play, so if you’d like to come talk there, you’re more than welcome to. I understand why the conversation overwhelmed you, but I’m glad you’re open to continuing it and hopefully we can both understand each other and Ella a little more. I look forward to talking with you again. **

* * *

Kurt followed the colorful signs and the smell of paint to the auditorium, peering in through the open door and finding Blaine on the stage, dressed in much more casual clothes than he was usually seen in. 

“Hi,” he said simply as he walked toward the stage, his arms crossed over his chest. He gave him a small smile, still standing a decent distance away. He didn’t know how to approach the conversation again, even though he knew it had to come eventually. That was what he was there for, after all. 

“Kurt, hi! Come on up,” Blaine said, standing up and leaving his paintbrush sitting in the tray as he wiped his hands on his already ruined jeans. “If you weren’t in such a pristine outfit, I’d ask you to help,” he laughed, walking over toward Kurt as the other man stepped up onto the stage. “Listen, I really appreciate you coming back to talk. I don’t want to overstep, but I only came to you about this because I genuinely care about each and every one of my students, and Ella is a really special little girl. I spend a lot of time with her,” he said with a small smile. “And happily, but..” he shook his head, about to continue when Kurt interrupted. 

“I think you’re right,” he said bluntly. “I’ve been looking into everything, more than I’ve even been working, and I think you’re right. I talked to a specialist in New York City this morning and Ella has an appointment during Christmas break.”

Blaine was taken aback for a moment, his mouth opening and closing before he nodded. “I’m.. really glad you took that step. I know this will only help, and I’m here for support for both of you throughout all of this. I hope you know that,” he said genuinely, his hands folded in front of him. “Did you want to talk about what you found?” he asked after some silence.

“I just found a lot of.. similarities, really. She has some unique traits that seem to line up with those of autistic children, and.. I’m also extremely sorry for reacting in a way that seemed.. disgusted by the idea of her having it. It’s not like that, I just..” Kurt sighed, shaking his head. “I’m just worried for her. I hope it doesn’t affect her learning in any huge ways, and.. I especially hope it doesn’t affect her social life,” he explained. 

“I grew up in a small town where any sign of being different was met with incessant bullying. She’s supposed to be in a place where she should embrace originality and her differences, and I want that for her without anything getting in the way. There’s still such a stigma when it comes to mental health…” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I mean, yeah, some things have advanced. When it came to me getting her enrolled in school, as a gay, single parent, I didn’t have much of a problem. But if she _does_ have autism, that’s the first thing you’re going to hear. ‘Ella Hummel, the girl with one gay dad? Yeah, she has autism, and what else would you expect from that household?’ You know? She’s the best thing that ever happened to me and while this chance of her being diagnosed doesn’t make me love her any less, it just terrifies me, because I don’t want her to be afraid of the world like I was.”

Blaine just nodded as Kurt finished, his eyes empathetic as they always seemed to be. “Oh, trust me, I understand that far too well,” he said, shaking his head and letting out a humorless laugh. “I had to transfer to a private school after coming out because the bullying was so bad, and it really.. changes your view on the world when you see how cruel people can be to someone just because they’re different. But Kurt, Ella is the best kind of different. She’s incredibly smart, driven, focused.. She’s just.. simply that. Different,” he said softly. “I can’t promise that things won’t be hard, but she’s never going to be without people who love her and want to see her succeed. So many people will be there to help you both through this.”

While Kurt was overcome by the support from the other, his mind was stuck on Blaine’s mention of coming out. His eyebrow was still raised, even as Blaine stopped talking and just looked at him, causing the shorter man to laugh a bit. “Kurt?”

“I’m sorry, um.. coming out? As in.. of the closet?” he asked seriously, genuinely surprised.

“No, no, I’m more dramatic than that. I’d say out of... the wardrobe,” Blaine teased in response, an eyebrow raised amusedly. “You think I’m the lion or the witch?” he laughed, crossing his arms. “Seriously? You didn’t know? You thought a straight guy would cover his classroom in rainbows and butterflies?”

“I didn’t want to assume anything! And no gay man I’ve ever met has risked getting paint on his Brooks Brothers polo,” Kurt quipped back as he poked at a spot of paint just above the tiny logo on Blaine’s chest. 

“Oh, this old thing? I’ve had this since college,” Blaine replied, shaking his head and laughing. 

Kurt scrunched his face in a playful look of disgust. “That doesn’t make me think you’re any less straight,” he teased, letting out a soft laugh as well and sitting down beside the backdrop. “Alright, what are we working on? Let’s finish this thing.”


	6. A Journey In Blue

While it just seemed like a few weeks at best since Blaine was welcoming his new little kaleidoscope into a brand new world for them, the pitter patter of heavy snow flakes whizzing through and smacking themselves against the windows that lined the back of the classroom were the teeth chattering reminder of just how many months had passed, and how quickly a year could fly by without so much as a blink. It was quickly learned by most of the staff that shared a hallway with Blaine that he was certainly the most festive when it came to any event that involved decorations. From the start of December there was a near round the clock loop of christmas music playing in the background including while he taught, the only time it went off was during rest periods or when the group was in need of a little grounding. Juggling that many little minds and quieting that many little mouths all at the same time was more than enough for even the sanest person to handle. All three Fridays before Christmas break had been scheduled on his calendar as ‘Footy Jammy Friday’. While it was near impossible to get an entire classroom of students into the same style of ensemble, any pajamas did just fine to set the mood and the afternoons always came with the best holiday themed events to keep his little team’s holiday spirit at its absolute highest, after all, it was the unfortunate truth that sometimes not every child had the option of celebrating the holiday at home. 

After a contest of who could make the poofiest cotton ball snowman picture and everyone was settled in on the all too familiar puzzle shaped styrofoam mat at the front of the classroom which seemed like a staple for most teachers in most schools, every little pair of eyes focused and chattered at a reasonable volume about the tiny deer who pranced across the screen with his little elf friend and a large moustached man in tow. Peeking up from his latest stack of alphabet ridden papers, today they were working on writing the letter ‘S’ and learning to count Christmas trees, Blaine had high hopes that he wouldn’t catch anyone’s fingers in their nose, or worse, someone else’s nose. With some coaxing and a heap of surprise on Blaines part, Ella’s near eager attitude to join the rest of the group on movie days were a strange twist of events when it came to her personality traits but when his eyes landed on the little girl in the group, he took a pause to notice just how intuned with the screen she became as she watched them with every little piece of herself, leaving her snacks and drink untouched in the meantime. Peeking into his drawer in an off moment he noticed the flash of a rather long text across the screen and without so much as looking at the name, he knew instinctively it had to have been from Kurt. After all, it wasn’t very often that he ever received a text from the man that didn’t come through with a subscription to an electronic reading assistant, though recently the messages started to pick up in more frequent and relatively friendly ways.

While I’m sure you’re probably in the middle of one of your near iconic holiday celebratory afternoon soirees, I do have a fairly strange and possibly inappropriate question to ask of you. I’m sure it’s not every day you have parents blasting your phone at noon but as you know, that appointment for Ella to see the specialist is scheduled for Monday morning just after the kids breaks have started. While I wouldn’t be upset to hear that you’re heading home for the holidays, I’ve also been sitting on asking you if you wouldn’t mind possibly tagging along with us for her appointment? I know, strange, intrusive, and wildly shortsighted when it comes to timing but to say I’m nervous is a wild understatement. Like you said, you spend nearly as much time in your day with her as I do in the afternoon and there might be some questions you have better insight on than I do considering you have more experience with large groups of kids and tend to notice the differences in them that average people might not. Get back to me when you can. By the way, I’m having the Gigino Trattoria-spectacular today. If you like italian food. -KH

Glancing down at his rather sad looking grilled chicken salad he let out a deflated sigh at the sheer lack of ambition he had to actually finish the few leaves of romaine lettuce peppering the bottom of the bowl an instead pushed the secured lid back over the lip of the bowl, hiding it away in his lunch pail in his drawer. “Warning number one, Connor. Hands in our laps, please.” Retrieving his phone out from the drawer finally he read through the message a second time in a rather curious state. Kurt did make a point, however  _ he _ had made the point before Kurt brought it up again, a sort of taste of his own medicine, although this wasn’t exactly a punishment by any means. 

First and foremost, have you ever met anyone in your entire life that  _ doesn’t  _ like Italian food?! Unfortunately no, not this year. However my mother is coming out for the holiday itself so Monday and Tuesday are free days for me apart from catching up on my wrapping at home. As for your question, of course I wouldn’t mind joining you, and I don’t think it’s intrusive at all if it puts your mind at ease a little more. I can safely say this is the first time anyone has asked me to do anything of the sort, typically I would just expect an email or phone call from the doctors office through the school nurse, but I can’t see how this would hurt. Let me know the time and address and I’ll meet you there, that way we don’t have to struggle with figuring out transportation and all that good stuff. By the way, I’m officially jealous. I would sell my soul and pose as a solid gold dancer for a meatball sub at the moment. -Blaine Anderson

  
  


Stuck between a stack of well thought out designs and a half empty macchiato sat Kurt with a look of contempt on his face, the tip of his pen tapping against his lips the longer he took to overthink his deadlines. Flipping through sheet after sheet, he considered the fact that each of his employees had a solid concept in their own individual minds, but to piece them all together in one cohesive, fluid movement within the next few weeks was certainly taking a toll on the brunette’s mind. He had vowed after taking his promotion that taking a step back would be better for him in the long run, but being hands on had just been the way Kurt had been for so long which was why he had advanced so quickly in the company to begin with and was why he had turned into such an asset for the entire company. Though sometimes Kurt certainly contemplated whether or not he was losing his touch, especially when things were coming down to the wire, despite the fact that everything the group ended up with made headlines that would make such designers of the highest standard shake in their boots. 

A relief washed over his face though as a message chimed through with a simple ping on his phone. After so much worry between work and his complete lack of readiness when it came to each new obstacle with his daughter, to feel the warmth of understanding from someone who he was becoming more and more familiar with put a little part of his mind at ease for the time being. 

You don’t know what it means to me to hear you say that, honestly. I have a general idea of what to expect, it’s just adjusting to the news that I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to handle all that well. Thank you. I genuinely mean that. In retrospect, I don’t typically do so well with doctors or appointments of any kind. I certainly used to give into my obsessive side with my rituals whenever my father had his appointments. Though he was all I had left after my mom passed, it became my goal to keep him as safe as I could. But, no more of that for now. I have no time for the worst. I have about fourteen projects with absolutely no fluidity and the attention span of a goldfish. -KH

* * *

As the date of Ella’s appointment rushed in on Kurt like a faulty dam’s leak, he was lucky to get to sleep around four a.m. Unfortunately when he had to be up around  _ six _ in order to get himself and his little one ready for the day, neither of them were the epitome of a songbird which was one of the biggest attributes the pair shared. Sitting on the side of his bed and carding his fingers through his wild hair to get it away from his face before his shower, Ella stood with a whine, her eyes crinkled shut to avoid the sun as much as possible, her hair looking like a tumbleweed straight off of the set of an old western. She certainly didn’t want to be awake any more than he did. “What do you say, little lamb? How about we get that monstrosity in order and go get ourselves something yummy to munch on?” 

Receiving a whine back while she rubbed her fists against her eyes to remove the last little bits of sleep that remained in them. “I want waffles,” the small girl insisted as Kurt let out a shaky breath and bit at his lips, forcing a smile in his daughter’s direction in the hopes to receive one back. 

“Can I have a hug? I really think a nice, big hug would help me out tremendously and…” looking around the room like he was trying to spot someone else to do the job before looking back at her. ‘...I don’t see anyone else around here that can do the job quite like you.” Nodding without any protest she walked into his open arms as he wrapped her up like a blanket and smoothed his hand through her hair so he could kiss her forehead. “I love you to the moon and back, you know that?” 

“Mhmm. Love you too,” she mumbled back into his shoulder but her response was slightly vacant, as it almost always was. It wasn’t that she didn’t mean it, or maybe she just didn’t understand the concept. Maybe to her saying that you love someone was like saying that they had blue eyes, either way Kurt took from it the most that he could. She was still his entire world, regardless of how she perceived it. Once they were both showered and their bellies were filled up, after all, a piece of toast and a half a grapefruit constituted as a good breakfast in Kurt’s eyes, or at least that’s what he told himself since he could barely keep anything down anyway, they shoved off toward their next destination. 

Hey, just wanted to let you know I’m headed into the city now. I’m going to stop in for a cup of coffee and I’ll meet you two outside. By the way, I hope it isn’t an encroachment, but I picked up a little gift for Miss Ella that I wanted to give to her outside of class. I understand I didn’t have to, but I saw it and immediately figured that if she likes butterflies even half as much as I do that it belonged to her. If you prefer I hold back on that, I wouldn’t be insulted. -Blaine Anderson

For once Kurt was thankful for being caught up in traffic because it gave him time to check his messages, though he had a wash of nerves fluster his system that wasn’t like something typical for him. It was far more comfortable than anything he felt in quite a while, and even caused him to crack a smile in all of his stress and confusion. 

Actually, no. No, I don’t mind at all. I'm sure she will enjoy it. -KH

Although he wasn’t exactly sure that that would actually be the case, it was certainly worth the shot. While an ever vibrant Blaine waited pacing under the awning of the Spectrum Neuroscience building for Kurt and Ella’s arrival, his fresh made coffee held between his glove clad hands to keep them warm, his ears covered with the most sensible looking ear muffs he could possibly find that didn’t completely clash with his outfit he was still all smiles when the pair came into view through the crowd. “Well, good morning, Miss Ella. Long time no see, hmm?” Blaine coaxed for a smile which he received half heartedly now that the little girl was a bit more woken up although she didn’t exactly know the reason for her teachers meeting with them on a day that wasn’t a typical school day. 

“Thank you so much for being with us today. I hope I didn’t impose anyth-” 

  
Though Blaine wasn’t the type that liked to interrupt, he cut Kurt off at the pass. “You didn’t impose anything. I wouldn’t have agreed to meet you if I didn’t find this just as important as you did. After all, what ever would I do if I had to spend an entire vacation without seeing you, El?” He grinned toward the girl once more who stood just inches in front of Kurt’s feet while he kept a grip on her shoulders as a safety precaution, watching as she focused most of her energy on counting the windows that lined the front of the building. 

“I hope you haven’t been waiting too long at least, did someone conveniently hold you up at Starbucks so you weren’t pacing out here in the cold?” he asked cheekily, stepping to the side with a wave of his hand and gesturing for the pair to head in before him, though he kept stride with Kurt to have a better visual while speaking to him while they headed toward the doors. 

“Matter of fact I did, Caramel frappuccino with an espresso shot, skim milk, three pumps of cane sugar, one of agave, extra whip and ‘if you ever so much as roll your eyes at me again little girl I will gladly come back there and provide you with the proper training measures to ensure I get  _ exactly _ what I’m paying for.’” He quoted almost verbatim of the person who had conveniently found their place just before him in line. “She was  _ quite _ upset with the barista.”

“I don’t understand who needs a drink order that complicated. It’s coffee. You want something that ensures a cavity? Just eat a bowl of sugar cubes, it’ll do the trick and it’s much cheaper.” What was funniest was Blaine wasn’t exactly wrong, but that didn’t mean that Kurt hadn’t been that extra in his past, a fact which caused the slightest of smiles to work its way into the corners of the taller man’s mouth, followed by a little more when the door was pulled open for him and his little one. A gentleman. He hadn’t seen that in quite some time. As Kurt led Ella to the reception counter to get her checked in for the day, Blaine made himself busy finding a triad of chairs for their small group to make themselves comfortable. Despite being one of the most prestigious institutions in New York the through traffic was quite apparent as most of the chairs in the waiting rooms were loaded with occupants ready to be seen, and despite the lack of comfort that came with sitting shoulder to shoulder in a busy room, Blaine managed to make himself comfortable as he shucked off his gloves and ear muffs and tucked them away into his bag, only making room for them after pulling out the latest issue of Vogue to keep his mind and his fingers busy. Ella on the other hand, the moment that Kurt took the spot directly next to Blaine, voiced her upset with the level of commotion with a whine. Even when Blaine’s classroom was at its loudest, the way this place was busy was more difficult for her to handle and she wasn’t shy about making that known. 

“I want to go,” she sighed, plopping herself down into the seat next to an already fidgety Kurt whose leg bounced with his foot the moment he had found a semi comfortable seating position, causing him to frown slightly and card his fingers through her silken, mousy hair and frankly if he hadn’t found this appointment to be absolutely necessary, he definitely wouldn’t be there either. Without fail, Blaine noticed out of the corner of his eye the way Kurt incessantly twitched, his arms folded protectively, uncomfortably over his body while he let out a slow breath and numbered the people in the room to gauge just how long in approximation they would have to wait before being seen.

“I know, El, but as soon as we’re done here we’ll do something fun, I promise. We’ll go get some lunch and maybe go to the Playroom. How does that sound?” the elder geared in his daughters direction with a persuasive smile that she didn’t seem to care to pay attention to anyway for more than a quick glance in his direction. “You know, I honestly think this is the most trying part of this entire process. I swear, it’s genuinely like they believe no one else has anything else to do with their lives but sit here and wait for their time. I know that’s the argument of everyone in here but nonetheless. Look at this place.” Blaine however understood exactly that most of the upset was coming out of nerves, reaching out to give a supportive rub to the side of Kurt’s arm.

“What are you possibly missing at work that’s any less stressful than being here? Is there a shortage of tweed that you have to be first in line for to get your hands on some of the  _ oldest dinosaur material _ in the history of fashion?” His attempts at a joke didn’t exactly fail, though they did receive a lackluster snort through Kurt’s nose. 

“Har har. You’re hilarious. No, actually. I’m currently trying to get nine employees to come up with ten solid pieces that we will be able to use to promote our prom line ahead of season but at this going rate we’ll be lucky to get anything out even after prom. Needless to say I’m certainly a glutton for punishment when it comes to adding things to my plate that I don’t have the time or sanity for.”

“Fully noted for future reference. Do  _ not _ suggest a buffet for lunch. Actually, I would say you owe me italian food after that little saucy text the other day. No pun intended.” While a smirk was easily come by for Blaine, he certainly made it that much easier for Kurt to find something to smile about as well, although it came with a generous eye roll. In their back of forth, Ella made herself known as she hopped down off of her chair and walked over to stand in front of Blaine with a slightly quizzical look.

“Mr. A, do you have butterflies to draw today?” Though Kurt reached out with an open mouth to stop her from asking as if what she had to say was inconvenient, Blaine was fully prepared while he grabbed his shoulder bag off of the floor and tugged open the zipper. 

“As a matter of fact, I do. This one is called an Adonis Blue. They usually live in England and they’re about  _ this _ big.” Holding up his fingers to signify how large they were, he gave her a smile along with the blank piece of paper and a printed off picture of the insect in discussion along with a box of crayons that she, without fail immediately pulled out near the exact colors- not so typical to other children that used their own creative twist to their drawings, she loved to be accurate- and began to recreate the bug she was newly interested in, using the chair she had been previously sitting on as a makeshift desk for the time being. At the same time, Kurt was in his own place while he evaluated what Blaine had suggested. Did he really have the mind to ask them out to lunch or was he simply trying to keep Kurt’s mind off of the confusion and tension that came with the impending appointment? For once he actually decided to press.

“Well, you wouldn't exactly be twisting  _ my _ arm. It’s Ella it seems we almost always have to answer to. She’s pretty partial to the same things. If I have to see another chicken nugget I may just hurl.” He muttered near Blaine’s ear though it didn’t exactly matter as the little one was in her own world anyhow, studying the picture with full intent on getting her drawing done right.

“This is New York, Kurt. I’m sure we can find something that will curb all of our appetites. That is...if you two don’t..already have plans after this?” One of Blaine’s brows worked its way toward his forehead with the question, the hairs on the back of his neck starting to stand up in the strangest of ways. He knew this wasn’t remotely him asking for a date, but a modern day lunch with a single dad that wasn’t pertaining to anything school related? He tried not to think too deeply about it, after all, he and Kurt were still just getting to know each other and he still knew so very little about where the blue-eyed male was with his feelings on the matter. Now certainly wasn’t the time to ask either so instead he simply, subtly searched Kurt’s face for an answer, which he got with little question. 

“You’re right, honestly. I don’t think we’ll have trouble finding something.” 

* * *

As the people came and went things in Kurt’s mind seemed to be on a downward slope, all of the three were getting tired, an hour sitting in an office felt just as long as ten minutes at the Motor Vehicles office, or Hell, as some people liked to refer to it, but just about the time that Kurt was ready to go speak to the receptionist about how much longer it would be, a small, pin straight Blonde haired girl in a pair of cartoon mouse themed scrubs peaked half of her body out of one of the doors on the main floor and announced the last name they all had been dying to hear. Though it was not at all the ideal time for Miss Ella who had only made it about half way through her picture when they had to move on, after quick introduction the entire group shifted behind the door in the woman’s footsteps who just as they got back to the room went about all the typical routine height and weight procedures with the little one while Blaine waited back in the room for the group to join them once more. Yet again they were subjected to a trial of wait and see, though this time the quiet was much easier for Ella to handle, they all seemed to be making due fairly well. Checking his reflection in the first mirror that was readily available he knew as well as the next person that no amount of blinking could wipe the tiredness from his eyes, though his appearance was the last thing he was sure the doctor would be focused on. 

“If you ask me you look just fine, Kurt. You wouldn’t even be able to tell you barely slept, you don’t look a day over 25.”

“Well that doesn’t help because I’m only 24,” he countered as he turned back to sit down again, pursing his lips to ward off another smile almost like joking was off limits once they were allowed in the office. 

“What are we doing?” Ella asked curiously, in everything neither of them had really taken into consideration the fact that they hadn’t explained any of this to the little girl who soon enough would be the complete center of attention, as if she wasn’t already. 

“We’re just visiting the doctor, baby. This is just a new doctor. He or she is going to talk to you, maybe check your ears and eyes and make you go ‘ahhhh.’” He mimicked as he stuck his tongue out much like you would under the pressure of a tongue depressor. “They might even check your reflexes and talk to you about what you like to do at home and in school and then talk to Mr. A and me and then we can hit the road and grab something yummy. Is that okay?” Though he had read into just what could possibly go on in appointments like this, he still wasn’t exactly sure just what the doctor had planned for her today. He just hoped in the back of his mind that the situation didn’t cause her another outburst like the one she had in school. Soon enough, with a slight rush of wind the door to the small room came open and a brunette woman in her mid forties came in, full smiles on her face while she introduced herself to the group. He wasn’t sure if it was luck of the draw or maybe, potentially they had chosen a female doctor to deal with Ella’s case because she could relate better but no matter what the circumstance he was thankful. After gentle introduction the woman made herself comfortable on a small rolling lab stool, pulling herself up directly in front of the tiny girl on the rather large examination table.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all today, especially you, Ella. I’m always happy to see both parents available for consultations like this.” The woman expressed while she looked over what paperwork she had for the little girl. Kurt and Blaine however exchanged quick glances to one another as the words “both’ and “parents” were tossed around so loosely though Blaine was the first one to correct her. 

“Oh n-no. No, we’re not…” he started, licking over his lips, his tone slightly breathier than it had been before. “I’m Ella’s teacher, actually. I’m here for moral support and because I spend a good deal of my day with her, I would like to have a little more insight on...these kinds of topics for future reference,” he rambled only slightly, hoping his nervous personality didn’t trigger any upset in Kurt, it did however come with a quick apology from the doctor herself though.

“No need to be sorry, it’s sort of an odd pairing. I- lost my husband a few years ago so I’ve been raising this little lamb on my own since then,” he explained, reaching his hand out to rest it against her cheek for a moment in admiration of the beautiful little life he had created. “It’s perfectly okay though, I could see where you might think.” Kurt was definitely the one thinking the most about it though, second was clearly Blaine who was taken by the idea, as the glances became far more apparent and held longer than they had before that point. 

“Good to see a teacher taking such measures in order to prepare themselves,” the woman praised as she went about every standard test that she could do. Reflexes, checking everything Kurt had already listed off to the little girl just moments prior to the doctor’s arrival along with a bevvy of others and what seemed like a million questions that kept both of the adults quite aware of exactly what the appointment meant for all of them. Turning her attention to the little one, though through the entire session she wrote in varying stages on a sheet attached to a clipboard that Kurt only wished he could get his hands on, she tried her best to get as many reactions out of Ella as she could in their time together. Blaine was quick to show off her skill including the pictures she had drawn every day since she had started school, not simply because they made him proud, but because they were an incredible indicator of just what the little girl's gifted mind possessed. After a few more notes and a momentary pause, she finally spoke up. Less to each of them and more to the pair together “Personally, Mr. Hummel and Mr. Anderson, what I think we have here is an incredibly talented, healthy, growing girl,” she started, not exactly what Kurt was expecting to hear which certainly had him sitting up straighter, but there was going to be a punch, there was always a punch. “As a psychologist, we see so many cases in children that go undiagnosed for so long that are so much more severe, and while some children go into early teenhood before they finally get placed, from this appointment alone I can’t exactly guarantee what Ella has  _ is  _ a form of ASD, autism spectrum disorder, but she does certainly show signs where I would suggest seeing her more on a regular basis just to be sure. Unfortunately we’ve found that diagnosis for female children is much harder than it is typically for male children because in the original testing for the disorder, only men were studied. Go figure.” 

Kurt drew in a sharp breath through his nose, though he had his answer it still wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear, but at least he knew now that there was some kind of explanation that he would be able to work with to make her life as easy as he possibly could. “I will say though, while I’m seeing some signs of possible obsessive compulsive disorder in her, that’s nothing that can’t be managed to the point she can live a full and complete life.  _ We _ as specialists don’t like to use the term high functioning or low functioning when it comes to autism. It's...sort of like using the same terms for someone with diabetes. Yes, there are different stages, some are born with it, some contract it due to pregnancy, age, diet, and some process and control it in different ways, some people also can grow out of it. Currently there are several studies being done pertaining to autism. ASD itself can go hand in hand with so many other contributing factors as well, anything from schizophrenia, to anxiety, to irritable bowel and even epilepsy, none of which I’m seeing in Miss Ella today. That doesn’t mean that later in life she's immune to being diagnosed with any of those things, but currently I just see a little girl who’s a little more peculiar than other children, and that isn’t always a bad thing because with the proper counseling and the right amount of patience from you, dad, there’s no reason she can’t excel.”

A sigh of relief billowed out from between Kurt’s lips as his hands came up to rest against his face for a moment and he tilted his head back toward the ceiling in an almost euphoric sense of relief, causing Blaine to smile and reach out to rub soothing circles into his back in almost a congratulatory way while Kurt fought back tears. He wasn’t exactly sure how happy he should be, he still knew that this was going to be a journey for them, but to know that she would still be able to lead a productive life was what was most important for Kurt in the moment. If they could get through this, they could get through anything. 

“I will say, Mr. Hummel. Right now there does seem to be an issue with Ella reading emotions, which is why most of her answers seem rather tepid, or almost emotionless but that’s also completely subject to change as from what I’m hearing it’s mostly in conversation or public settings. What I can suggest, if either of you are up to it, I say either of you because I’m sure as an elementary teacher you have plenty of practice being exuberant,” she smiled, gearing her attention Blaine’s way which caused a chuckle and a playfully modest shrug to raise his shoulders for a moment. “If you can find the time to record yourselves saying different sentences with different emotions and then asking Ella how she is feeling and what she thinks those emotions are and mimicking them back to you each different way, you may find how easily she can pick these things up. She’s incredibly smart so I can’t see that being a problem, and with a therapist to catch up with her progress, we can avoid the possibility of her potentially masking. Masking is a characteristic in people with ASD where they will see emotions being portrayed by other people and simply take them on as their own without any idea as to why they should be feeling that particular way about whatever topic they’re on at the moment. What we want to do is to help develop the region of Ella’s brain early on that there are several different emotions she can feel about a particular topic and that is completely based on her own choice at the time rather than just agreeing with the most popular choice simply because it’s what the rest of the world seems to believe is the right answer. Kind of like the old saying, ‘If your friends told you to jump off a bridge, would you?’ If it weren’t for your persistence and questioning of the matter, Ella could have gone far too long without guidance for her situation, but it’s clear to me that she has two people who care a great deal about her enough to get her here and with a little more work, I think she’s on the right track to live a life just like most everyone else around her. If things change, she’ll have plenty of options in her future. Medicine is advancing every day, we’re constantly learning new things. She’ll be in very good hands,” the brunette promised in the most professional way she could. “Also the internet can be a huge help sometimes, I can grab you a few different pamphlets that will further explain some of the training methods that seem to work best for picky eaters and outbursts that you can both read to better understand how everyone can cope with Ella’s differences, but I think for today, that’s all I have for you... unless you have further questions?” The woman glanced between both of the adults who seemed to exchange enamored glances back and forth at one another. It always felt very on the spot when a doctor asked if you had any questions. Typically it wasn’t until you were leaving the office, driving home once your mind could be free that the questions seemed free flowing. When she didn’t get an answer she continued.

“I’d like to see Ella back on a regular basis. We’ll start out on two week intervals and adjust accordingly. We may realize that two weeks isn’t necessary and she’ll only need to come in once a month or even less or we might decide that coming in and having a place to vent and practice routine get togethers helps her cope. Regardless I don’t think that her schedule really needs to change far beyond that. As long as you don’t see any drastic changes you feel like you should be concerned about, which in that circumstance you’re always welcome to call, my number will be on your paperwork that you can pick up on the way out I think what you’re doing right now and what Ella is experiencing every day isn’t something that needs to be adjusted drastically.” Collecting up her things she stood and took each available hand into her own for a quick, professional goodbye, bending herself in half in an attempt to meet the little ones eyes who remained pretty quiet for the entirety of the session. “Have a good day, Miss Ella. It was a pleasure meeting you.” She prompted with a smile which caused Ella to return a nod in her direction and lift her head slightly to notice the proximity of their faces which had her swinging her feet in her spot. 

“Bye Miss G,’ she retorted shortly, though Kurt was fully surprised that she remembered the woman's name, or at least her initial only after hearing it once. Upon receiving her answer the woman slipped out of the room, leaving the door open in her wake for the trio as soon as they were ready to depart. 

“You can breathe now. The worst part is over,” Blaine whispered as he reached his hand over to give Kurt’s shoulder a squeeze which was instantaneously less tense than it had been since the night before. It was almost like opening a window on a breezy day after being locked away in a stuffy room for all too long, the breath he drew in bringing the color back to his face in mere minutes. 

“Daddy, when’s lunch gonna be?” Ella asked with a completely unphased sense of wonderment as her schedule had been changed without her approval, though she knew remotely without even being able to read a clock just yet that lunch had to be coming up soon enough. Glancing at his phone at the question he contemplated his options as they began to gather themselves in order to finally head out. Even if Kurt had the opportunity to forget, he knew there was no way that she was going to let him.   
  
“Baby, if you want to get me anything for my birthday, I will happily take your metabolism. Soon enough though, what about pizza today? Shake things up a little. Do you think that’s alright? How about a thumbs up?” he tried, pointing his thumbs toward the air he caught the attempt at a smile, though slightly tight lipped it was more than he was expecting, mimicking the gesture with her own thumbs while he one by one helped tuck her arms back into her coat and buttoned her up to get ready for the chill of the New York afternoon that was bearing down on the busy streets outside, each of three following the other out, Blaine at the very back of the train with an insistent wave of his hand. “Honestly, I’m just glad we have an answer. Though it doesn’t change the fact that this is going to probably be a lifetime thing for her, at least she’ll never have to spend her time wondering why she's different but instead trying to educate other people about what makes her special. I’m just trying to find the best possible outlook in all of this. It shouldn’t be her responsibility to explain herself to the world but to just… be a kid,” Kurt rambled as they made their way out.  
  
“Kurt, what did I just say about breathing? She doesn’t have to explain anything right now. Neither of you do, now or ever. It’s no one's business how Ella lives her life in the future. Sure, this could be an opportunity for her to help other people better understand themselves from her experiences but right now she's just a little girl who's trying to be just that and I think we should let her and support her just like we do any other child regardless of her condition. Besides, nothing can change the fact that she’s just as intelligent and driven and worthy as any other child and she’ll get just as much attention as every other kid. That’s always been my goal, to make sure every kid I teach feels as special as the next and has a place to just be themselves.” Stopping at the desk long enough to exchange a few words with the woman manning the phones, Kurt shared a gentle smile with the woman, all while taking Blaine’s words into consideration. It was certainly nice to have someone like Blaine around who could keep a level head considering that had been something that Kurt had chronically found the need to work on for as long as he could remember. Once they had all hit the outside, Blaine adjusted his ear muffs on his ears before fumbling with the top few buttons of his coat as the chill of the wind hitting the back of his neck tore a shiver down his spine and the two men stood face to face with one another with a desperately bored Ella stood between the pair, looking at her own mirrored and slightly distorted reflection of her face in the rather large button on Kurt’s jacket. Drawing in a deep enough breath that it filled his lungs enough to raise his shoulders much like a chicken ruffling its feathers to grow twice its size, his lips twinged up into a grateful smile.

“Thank you, Blaine, for everything. Not just today, but this entire year so far. For allowing me to reach out and for being so kind to El even when we didn’t know what was going on, and for listening to my late night wine fueled rants... and for going out of your way to do  _ this _ . It’s not everyday you find people as wonderfully willful as you are in situations like this and I wish I could figure out a way to repay you for…”   
  
“I don't expect you to repay me, Kurt. This was just as much a learning opportunity for me as it was a lending hand for you in a moment of need. Besides, I don’t say this often but...Ella has a bit of an advantage over some others in her class. I think it's her unique charm. We’ve kind of become friends this year, huh El?” he asked, crouching himself back down to her level once more he attempted to catch her eye and show her a smile, today seemed to be the day she was a little more willing to be attentive to other people's emotions as she repeated the smile back at about half the volume, but it was something. 

“Mr, A. You uhm-have to go back to your house now?” Her curious mind pondered aloud which was met with a small nod.    
  
“I should probably be heading back, yeah. We had a good day though. You  _ definitely _ made my vacation a  _ million _ times better. What do you think about that? Can I get a high five to last me until I get to see you again?” Jutting his bottom lip out in a desperate attempt for some positive contact he held his hand up hopefully and she glanced between the pout and his vacant hand in a moment of hesitation before finally reaching out and ever so lightly touching his hand with her own, though it was mostly sleeve from where they had fallen down her small arms to nearly cover her hands and he cheered with a brighter than usual look about him. “Hey! I’ll take that! That’s certainly going to be the highlight of my vacation stories besides that beautiful butterfly you drew for me today. I get to keep that, right?” With a nod back as she always typically allowed Blaine to keep her art once she was finished with it, he stood back upright with a newfound smile and gripped at the strap of the bag on his shoulder. 

Parting his lips for a moment as he considered his words, he knew that after everything that Blaine had already offered to do for them, asking too much might end up somehow turning into an issue, though he felt no need to stop himself despite the reasoning not being clear. “You did..come all the way into the city today, and I’m sure you’re probably going to get hungry sooner or later. If you don’t...have any plans going on back home I’d…. _ we’d  _ love to invite you along with us for lunch. After all we might as well make a day of it since we’re already here. But if you’re busy we would understand, we don’t want to keep you from any plans considering you already took time out of your day.” Though he didn’t say it outright, the wavering that went along with his tone was considerably compelling as Blaine had only seen this level of hopeful embarrassment out of the other for the first time today and it was something he was rather enjoying, especially since only minutes before he was so riddled with stress and anxiety it was nice to be able to see a positive emotion now filling in the spaces of his mind that had been clustered with wonder since the appointment had been made.

“Weeeell…’ pushing his lips out in a pursed expression, his eyes narrowed while his index finger tapped against his lips in playful thought, a little suspense didn’t exactly hurt the situation. “I do remember someone mentioning an Italian place the other day in passing that sounded most compelling, and if I go home I’m going to get lost in a sea of washed clothes that are in desperate need of hanging and a half pint of chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream in my freezer that I promised myself I would ration out. I can hear it’s little voice from behind the door. ‘It’s okay, I won’t tell if you don’t. It’s just you and me, Blaine.’” He squeaked in a playful voice which actually got a small giggle out of the little girl which really only happened when she found something particularly amusing and certainly got a smile out of both men in her company. 

“Well, I guess it’s settled then. You pick the place and we’ll follow. Though this little one already has her sights set on pizza so I hope that isn’t asking too much?”   
  
“Are you kidding? This is New Yawk! There’s pizza everywhea!” He stretched his arms out, doing his absolute best accent which caused Kurt to laugh out in a breathy approval. 

“Let’s take my car. No sense playing tag through the city for a two dollar slice of pizza we have to fight a rat over anyway,” Kurt suggested and snickered, scrunching his nose at the thought alone that coursed through his mind. While it was only slightly suspicious to not only offer but essentially volunteer Blaine to join them, when he received no protest back, he filed that down as yet another win. For the most part the day was looking up more and more each second for the little Hummel clan, and by the shimmer that held true in Blaine’s eye when they exchanged another steady held glance, it seemed that he was thinking the exact same thing. 


	7. The Butterfly Effect

After eating some viciously greasy pizza and taking a short walk around the city with Ella between them, the two men almost decided that it was time to part. That was until Blaine happened to spot a sign on the door of the Museum of Natural History, quickly leaning into Kurt to speak into his ear, the father’s eyes going wide as he nodded. The secret was short lived though, because the moment that they got inside the doors, Ella spotted the huge sign in the lobby that was covered in different sorts of butterflies, causing her to bounce in her spot and let go of Kurt’s hand in order to point.   
  
“Dad! Those butterflies, we have to see them! Where are they? Are they here?” she asked, her voice high and her pace fast. It genuinely may have been the most excited Kurt had ever seen her.   
  
“They are here, sweetie, Mr. A is going to show us where they are, but we have to be patient for just a moment, okay? This museum has a lot of different things that people want to see, so they have to get their tickets too,” Kurt explained, kneeling down as he spoke to her in the line and smiling, pecking her cheek. “You’re lucky you wore a flowery shirt today, huh? Maybe they’ll think you’re a garden and come and land on you,” he told her with a grin, causing her eyes to go wide.   
  
“They’re gonna be out? I can touch them?” she asked excitedly, though she seemed a little nervous at the thought that these delicate creatures were out for anyone to play with. Of course not everyone knew everything that _she_ did about them, and maybe someone would hurt them. “Dad, they’ll get hurt if we touch them. We have to be really careful,” she told him, her eyebrows raised as she taught her dad about the things that she loved.   
  
“I don’t think that we can touch them, you’re right. We will have to be careful, but you can get close to them, because it’s a big room where the butterflies can move around and have fun,” he explained, tucking her hair back the way it had been earlier in the day and adjusting the clip in it to hold it back again. As Ella took the time to process that, they moved up in the line and finally got to the ticket counter, where Kurt reached into his wallet for his card, promptly being cut in front of by Blaine, who shook his head.   
  
“Nuh uh, absolutely not. My idea, my treat,” he said as he handed the attendant his card, smiling. “Two adults and one child,” he said, accepting their tickets and his card back and handing Ella and Kurt each of their tickets.   
  
“Mr. A, look. A Swallowtail,” Ella pointed at her ticket, though she held it so close to her that Blaine had to look on his own to see.   
  
“That _is_ a Swallowtail, El, great identification. Did you tell dad what a person who studies butterflies is called? Do you remember?” he asked her, looking down at her as they now entered another line that led into the Butterfly Room, considering they only allowed a certain number of people in at a time.   
  
“Um, yeah. It’s a… lepidocterist,” Ella said after a moment, nodding her head and smiling slightly up at her teacher, who smiled right back at her.   
  
“That was really close. It’s a lepid _op_ terist,” he said, correcting just the one single letter that she’d gotten wrong, which was unmatched when it came to words that big for most kids her age.   
  
Ella nodded, looking ahead of her as they waited. “Yeah. That’s what I wanna be,” she said, her father beaming at the news. It wasn’t often that Ella spoke about the future, let alone about what she wanted to be when she grew up, so the idea that Blaine was helping her do just that thrilled him.   
  
As they approached the entrance of the room, Ella got more and more excited, especially when the woman who was taking their tickets handed her a small orange slice and explained that it would attract the tropical butterflies to her hand, but that she shouldn’t touch them, at which she nodded knowingly at. She held the orange carefully in her hand, and thankfully it wasn’t the juiciest now that it had been sitting in a container throughout the day while they handed them out, or she likely would have asked her dad to clean her hand already.   
  
Soon after, they were finally entering the exhibit, Ella looking all around her the moment they were moved into the room and blinking as she saw hundreds of butterflies moving around, mostly close to the lights hanging from the ceilings, though they were low enough that she could still see their colors and wing shapes. “You can let go of my hand, but you have to stay close. Make sure one of us is near you, okay?” Kurt told her as they were finally in an area that wasn’t so crowded, slowly letting go of a tiny hand that immediately moved up to point as Ella walked slowly toward a flower which held a Blue Morpho on it’s pistil, it’s proboscis jutting out to drink the water that had gathered in the pool that the petals formed for it.   
  
“A Morpho,” she spoke quietly, her eyes focused on the butterfly that she favored the most, live and in her presence. “It’s drinking,” she told Kurt as he came to stand near her, not making any quick movements as to not scare the butterfly away and ruin his daughter’s whole experience before it even started. “They can’t eat anymore, after they turn into butterflies, because they um, they lose like, their.. Like their teeth,” she explained as well as she could, the knowledge a basis of what she’d learned from Blaine about the creatures. 

“They love fruit juice, El,” Blaine spoke up from behind them, his voice staying quiet too. He didn’t know exactly how sensitive butterflies were to the human voice, but he surely didn’t want to ruin this. “Why don’t you hold up your orange for him? Maybe he’ll want to try some,” he said, smiling when she ever so slowly brought the orange up to the butterfly’s level, her eyes going wide as it left the flower, did a small swoop above them, and landed itself gingerly on the fruit.    
  
“You know how we know it’s a boy?” she asked Kurt without removing her eyes from the butterfly, her voice at a whisper now that it was that close to her. “Only the boys are blue,” she said, turning the orange in her hand slowly to see more of the shine that reflected off of the beautiful aquamarine of the insect. “Me and Mr. A like these ones.” The comment created a smile on Blaine’s face, it was almost an absentminded sentiment to him as a person, he did love boys, and it certainly helped when he found them pretty, but that was a comment left unspoken for now. Maybe it would give him a reason to text Kurt later in the evening and share. After all, he reasoned, recently they had done a lot more talking in their personal time with no complaints from one or the other. It was nice, having someone to joke with or let off steam.

  
  
After another moment of the butterfly ambling around the orange slice, it stopped for a moment before taking flight again, soaring through the exhibit and disappearing to another section. Kurt took the chance to lean down, smiling at his daughter and squeezing her shoulder. “That was awesome, huh? You got to see your favorite first, how cool?” he asked her happily, getting a genuine nod and smile from the little girl.    
  
“Yeah. That was really cool,” she replied before looking up at her teacher. “Did you get a picture? He was right on my orange,” she told him, getting a nod back as he shook his phone at her.    
  
“Well, of course. I’ll send all the pictures to dad later. Let’s find some more butterflies now, shall we?” he asked her, gaining a nod and another bright smile, one that he didn’t usually get out of her. 

* * *

After making a stop at the gift shop and getting Ella a gorgeous new hoodie with butterflies covering it from top to bottom, it seemed that the little one was finally over all the excitement of the day and ready to get home. Kurt was more than used to recognizing this by now, and just as they were about to say their goodbyes, Blaine was reminded of the small gift in his pocket.    
  
“Oh! Before you go, Miss Ella,” he said, kneeling beside her in the parking garage that he’d followed the pair to in order to see them off, smiling softly. “I have something for you, your Christmas gift,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small cardboard jewelry box.    
  
“Today is not Christmas,” Ella said, her eyes narrowed a bit as she shook her head and took the box, opening it slowly and handing him back the lid. She had the same expression on her face until she saw what was actually in the box, the small frown dropping then as her lips parted and she blinked a few times. “This is for me? For my hair?” she asked quietly, looking up at her teacher and then back down at the crystal butterfly hairpin, bright blue and sparkling even in the dim light of the parking garage.    
  
“Well, I don’t know any other little girls that love butterflies nearly as much as you do, so I thought you might like it. And besides, don’t tell the others, but you might be my favorite at school,” Blaine stage whispered to her, laughing a little and glancing up at Kurt, who had his free hand over his mouth and tears in his eyes, his other hand holding the box that Ella had put there already for safe keeping. No one had ever done anything so thoughtful for his little girl, and really, the more Kurt thought about it, no one had done anything as thoughtful as Blaine had for  _ him _ since Ethan. He sniffled and smiled down at the other man, and just as Blaine began to stand, a pair of little arms wrapped tight around his neck, Ella’s face buried against his neck. 

“Thank you, Mr. A. You’re my favorite at school too,” she spoke in her adorably mousy voice as the man let out a breath of air, hugging her back tightly and biting his lip.    
  
“You’re so welcome, El,” he said quietly. Students hugged him all the time, sure, but this hug was different. This hug was from a little girl that chose a wave at the door every morning in greeting, maybe a fist bump on a good day, while almost every other student chose a hug or a high five. This was from Ella Hummel, a little girl who barely hugged her own father, which Blaine knew from one wine-spurred conversation with Kurt, who was obviously more bothered by that than he liked to admit. This hug might have been the most important one he’d ever gained in his entire life.    
  
The small girl pulled back, beaming as she climbed up into the back of Kurt’s car, getting herself in her seat and buckling in, Kurt double checking the buckle and then closing the door carefully, still sniffling a little.    
  
“Kurt, I’m.. I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to in--”   
  
“No. You weren’t intruding, Blaine, that was… the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for her since my husband passed,” Kurt interrupted quickly, shaking his head. “Thank you. Thank you so much for that, and.. for today. You have no idea how much this means to me,” he said, feeling himself getting choked up. “Everything about today was easier because you were here too. She loves you so much,” he said, shaking his head and letting a tear fall down his cheek. “Thank you. Please text me when you get home,” he said. Kurt gave him a small smile and hesitated before giving Blaine a hug, quick but a little longer than friendly, before rushing around to get in the car and starting it up, letting out a deep breath in the driver’s seat.    
  
“Alright, Miss El. Homeward bound,” he sighed, backing out carefully as Blaine stood by out of the way and beeping as they drove off, prompting Ella to wave to him and doing the same, smiling gratefully at the man who was slowly seeping into his life more and more. 


	8. Postman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconius_melpomene (title butterfly for reference)

Hey, Kurt, listen. I know I ask a lot of you but before you swing by could you...maybe...stop and grab some more paint from the hardware store? Conveniently it’s actually _called_ ‘Barn Door Red’ and it’s kind of hard to paint a barn door without any….paint. Oh! Also could you get some green? Like the color of an inch worm? -Blaine Anderson

Blaine, don't you think you're taking it a little far by painting inchworms? I mean, not even the kids are going to be able to see them from the stage let alone the parents in the audience. -KH

Kurt. -Blaine Anderson

I’m not painting them the _size_ of inchworms. I'm painting them on the scale of the other bugs and barn life. -Blaine Anderson

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of calling them inchworms though? Seeing as they’re not actually an inch? Can you imagine though? Now _that_ is a very hungry caterpillar. -KH

Hah. Hah. Funny. Are you a comedian in your spare time? -Blaine Anderson

Only when I'm not stripping. -KH

You’re on a roll today. But really, can you help me out? You will be reimbursed. By either myself or the school. -Blaine Anderson

Have I ever turned you down? Of course. Just finishing up some final adjustments to the work website and then I’ll be heading out. Give me an hour? Maybe a little longer? -KH

  
  
Sounds great. Thank you again, Cinnamon. I mean, Kurt. ;) -Blaine Anderson

  
  
First of all, learn to use emojis, you’re an adult. Second, my old cheer coach used to call me Porcelain. So if you’re going to go with a stripper name, I would prefer that one. Or Alabaster Porcelain. -KH

  
Isn’t that a character from a wizard novel? -Blaine Anderson

I’ll see you then. Thank you, thank you, thank you. -Blaine Anderson

  
  


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Kurt had gotten so used to being busy in the afternoons, it was almost starting to become part of his every day now that the musical was just a few months away. He was lucky for the way it seemed to be something to look forward to, regardless of the fact that it was still work. Though, nothing about it felt like work even from the very beginning. Most of the time it was just trenchant and ruthless banter, witty word play mixed with endless sarcasm that only about half the time Blaine was actually sure even _was_ sarcasm, and Kurt ran with every twisted look he received until he was practically choking on his own laughter. He never seemed to complain about the complexity of his life, just as his father had never done with him after his mother's passing. Being a single father with a full time job, living in a busy city in an expensive state, getting up early and going to bed late had just become the way of life that Kurt was so reliant on trusting that any change to that was almost daunting. Thankfully when it came to Blaine's company, routine itself slowly started to become mundane, and he was ready for whatever situation, or tireless toothsome joke Blaine had in his back pocket to add just the smallest bit of excitement to his day. 

“The man of the hour has arrived. What ever would you do without me?” He cut as he swung the paint buckets slightly while he walked and promptly sat them down in front of the other with his hand out as if to ask for a cash exchange. Instead though he received Blaine’s hand as he used it like an anchor to stand up, Kurt’s eyes rolling with a fondness before his arms crossed over his chest and he relied on one foot more than the other to support his weight. Receiving a groan once he was to his feet, Blaine’s arm swiped across his forehead, anyone who knew stage lights knew standing or even sitting on a stage under them was like laying in a frying pan under the sun.

“I am completely indebted to you, I mean that. You saved me so much time,” he grinned as he peaked his head down at the gallon and pint that sat at his feet though Kurt could still see the smile playing at his lips over the little favor. 

“As you should be. It was nearly $100.00,” Kurt shot without missing a beat, walking his way across the stage to an easel where Blaine typically hung the extra smocks, throwing the loop over his head before twisting the string’s on either side around his lithe waist while he made his way back. Blaine’s eyes sprung open, pupils swelling at the mention of the cost, though if Kurt bought it anywhere within the city there was no way he should have been surprised. 

“A hundred- is it the gold paint they used to paint the pope's chair?!” he scoffed momentarily, but everything that Blaine did seemed to fit a level of melodramatic that even Lin Manuel Miranda would applaud.

“You think that chair is gold _plated_? I think you’re being generous. You and I both know there’s no plating about it. That thing hasn’t been moved in a thousand years. There’s no way it can’t be solid gold. I’m surprised they aren’t fending off Indiana Jones to keep from stealing it,” Kurt said, his face contorted up at the previous memory he had of sitting down at night with his step brother and their friends from high school to watch the set of adventure films that went well into the evening hours, wondering just when they would be over. When it came to historical thriller or adventure films, Kurt would have rather watched the Declaration of Independence be stolen rather than watching a grown man run away from a giant rolling rock through narrow hallways like some kind of video game character. At least the former was a little more educating, even if it wasn’t completely accurate.

“Honestly, it’s sacrilegious. They could sell that one chair alone and feed every starving child in Africa for who knows how long but...we know how that ends.” It was an unfortunate truth of the matter, and anyone with any sort of compassion could see the issue in it. 

“You can say that again.” Kurt murmured while his back was turned, collecting up a paint brush in order to get started while Blaine popped the top open on the two new buckets that were brought his way, sticking the paint key right back into the front of his smock for safekeeping when his head tilted up to look up through his lashes at the taller of the two and a challenging smile tugged it’s way into the corners of his lips.

“It’s sacrilegious,” He repeated simply, squinting across the brightly lit stage to where his friend stood who peeked over his shoulder in Blaine’s direction and laughed mockingly though behind the fake laughter a twinkle seemed to light his eyes with genuine intent. It went on like that, every day a little more, and at that point, it had turned into every day. Not one day had gone by since Kurt got Ella’s diagnosis that Blaine didn’t have some kind of update on how she was that day, how Kurt was, how class went that day, what was in the plans for the future in class and even then it was only to keep conversation. Though the conversation didn’t have to be never ending. Just as it was in that moment, Kurt stood with his back turned to Blaine’s, brush striking the plywood set piece with a vague resemblance to an actual barn door, the attempt at free hand on Blaine’s part was enough to create a smile on Kurt’s face.

“What’s the point of creating your own set pieces when you work at a school whose tuition is almost the same as a year at community college? Your budget must be through the roof. Couldn’t you just buy the pieces and just put them together yourself?” Kurt asked, as his curiosity got the better of him after just a few comfortable minutes of silence. Though he didn’t mind it, Kurt was far from the silent type, at work he had to be the voice of the collective and it showed, and thankfully for Blaine, he was the polar opposite.

“Where’s the fun in that though? I can’t say I hate having a reason to be busy for a few months a year. Too bad they don’t run a summer musical program, then I would be set. I can’t say I don’t struggle for those couple of months trying to find something to keep me from losing my mind.” His voice seemed to get closer and closer as he spoke until he was standing right beside the other, hands planted on his hips with his head cocked in curiosity to the side, taking a large step back to get a better view of the entire picture which was soon mimicked by the other. Kurt’s stance was nearly identical to the way Blaine stood, minus the hand holding the brush resting on his hip, though his attention was soon pulled away from the eye-catching red that unmistakably would have been seen from the road if it was placed just right to instead look over in the direction of the perpetually cheerful instructor whose profile was rather handsome the more Kurt’s eyes wandered over it. What was most distinct were his lashes. Voluptuous, with just the right amount of natural curl and set perfectly to protect his golden hazel eyes which seemed to offset his rather strong jaw that supported quite a lovely pair of pink, tumescent lips. 

“You don’t have very many parents ready to volunteer, do you? Seems like...there’s never many people here unboxing material and stitching poly-blend cotton filled panty hoes to centipede costumes. I feel like…” Pausing only long enough to look around at the ghostly quiet stage before he found Blaine once more. “...I haven’t met many people since this process started. Not... that there’s anything wrong with that. I rather enjoy the peace and quiet of it all. It’s a good way to decompress after a long day at work.”

“First of all, there are _no_ centipedes on _this_ farm. Centipedes live in musty conditions. Moldy wet logs, leaf piles.”  
  
“You know an awful lot of information about bugs, are you sure you weren’t supposed to be an entomologist?” Leaning the paint brush across the top of the open paint can, he gave a quick inspection over his hands for any sign of wet paint before running his fingers through his hair to begin to break away the copious amounts of hair spray he spend the day reapplying nearly each and every time he went to the bathroom in an 8 hour period. 

“I’m an instructor. I get paid to know a lot of senseless information and very little about what these kids should really know to live a full, fantastical life.The perks of following a state mandated curriculum,” the sarcasm latent in Blaine’s voice at the moment.

“Can we sit for a minute?” Kurt asked, pointing toward the edge of the stage, and before Blaine could answer, Kurt was already making his way over to sit down with his legs hanging over the side, Blaine’s bottom lip instantaneously finding respite between his teeth while he followed the other over and dropped down beside him, hands bracing his hips while they clutched the edge of the cold wooden stage floor and he propped his chin on his own shoulder to look over at the other. 

“Everything okay?” Blaine asked, though he seemed much more nervous than Kurt did, clearing his throat and trying to get his mind to slow as the endless possibilities of just what was coming rushed through it. 

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s good,” Kurt assured him, shaking his head as he looked over at Blaine, smiling a little and humming as he looked away from his eyes, looking out at the seats in front of them. “I was just.. wondering if maybe you’d like to come to dinner at my house. We can discuss the musical and just.. Relax a little. Maybe have a glass of wine,” he shrugged. “I feel like I owe it to you after all you’ve done for Ella. For both of us, really.”

“Oh! Well.. yeah, of course. I’d like that,” Blaine said, smiling at Kurt and relaxing visibly as he nodded a bit. “Sure. Should I bring the wine? Or should I bring anything for dinner?” he questioned, already sitting up a little straighter as he was quite excited for the evening. “Oh, are we.. is this tonight? When are we doing this?” he asked with a soft laugh as he’d basically assumed that Kurt meant _that_ night, though he wouldn’t mind it being another night so that he could go home and make himself look a bit more presentable for the evening. 

“Oh, I didn’t.. uh, I didn’t really think that far ahead,” Kurt said with an honest laugh, shaking his head. “How about.. Saturday night? That way you don’t have to worry about the headache the next morning,” he chuckled, biting the inside of his lip. “Does that work for you?”  
  
“That sounds perfect,” Blaine replied with a gentle smile, nodding and pushing himself back up to get back to work. 


End file.
